Platinum Interior Space and Exhibition Design · 2023
Deji Cultural Complex Museum
by Masato Kure and Masashi Ota
- A' Design Award 2023 Platinum Winner in Interior Space and Exhibition Design
- Awarded April 15, 2023
- CLIENT: The Triangle.jp Co., Ltd
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 684,102
- Verification code 6049E853F9 · Verify this award
About Deji Cultural Complex Museum
Deji Cultural Complex provides a fusion of cultural arts and commercial facilities. It has six extensive facilities including an art museum, a museum, a bookstore, shops, and a café on its top 7300 m2 floor. The coexistence of these facilities allows customers to stop by at one they would not have otherwise visited. What makes The Triangle. JP's design innovation is that they entirely got rid of walls between spaces. By eliminating partitions, it freed the space from having boundaries between inside and outside giving customers a little "preview" before entering the space.
Masato Kure's Deji Cultural Complex Museum entrance exemplifies the contemporary pursuit of creating threshold experiences that prepare visitors psychologically and aesthetically for cultural engagement, transforming the practical function of arrival into a moment of heightened spatial awareness and contemplative transition. The design emerges from a rich tradition of treating museum entrances as significant architectural statements, recalling the light-filled atria of major institutions while introducing distinctly contemporary sensibilities through its integration of parametric design principles and installation art strategies. The ceiling's intricate lattice structure demonstrates remarkable technical achievement, each linear element precisely positioned to create patterns that shift and transform as visitors move through the space, generating what might be described as kinetic architecture through the interaction of static elements and mobile observers. The suspended typographic installation represents a sophisticated approach to institutional identity, dissolving the conventional signage approach into a three-dimensional spatial experience where letterforms become sculptural presences rather than mere informational markers. The central curtain of vertical elements achieves a delicate balance between transparency and enclosure, defining spatial zones while maintaining visual permeability that invites forward movement and suggests the revelations awaiting within. The material palette speaks to a refined understanding of how surfaces and light interact, the cool precision of white elements playing against the organic warmth of stone flooring to create an environment that feels simultaneously technological and welcoming. This work invites contemplation of how contemporary cultural institutions might announce their purpose and values through spatial experience itself, encouraging visitors to consider what transitions we seek when approaching encounters with art and heritage.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- DEJI Cultural Complex is a new type of entertainment venue that provides a fusion of cultural arts complex and commercial facility on its top 7300m2 floor. The place has sophisticated yet inviting ambiance since there is no walls between each area. Eliminating entire walls freed the space from having the boundaries between inside and outside that giving customers a little preview before entering the space. The entire design reflects the culture, people, and the city of Nanjing. Therefore, visiting this complex easily becomes part of their lifestyle.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- DEJI Cultural complex has six extensive facilities including an art museum, a museum, a bookstore, shops, and a cafe on its top 7300m2 floor.
- Tags
- museum, art, interior design, commercial interior, contemporary art
- Production Technology
- The innovation of our design is that we entirely got rid of walls between spaces. By eliminating partitions, it freed the space from having the boundaries between inside and outside that gives customers a little preview before entering the space. Two main ideas have used to eliminate the boundaries. First is water. We installed large water basins at the entrance instead of walls. The second is rods. Instead of having solid walls, countless white rods are hanging from ceiling.
- Design Challenge
- The demand for shopping at physical stores dropped significantly when the recent pandemic started. More people felt comfortable shopping online. Our lifestyle has changed dramatically, and the joy of shopping physically was taken away.
- Project Duration
- The project started in January 2021 in Nanjing, China. Constriction period was 5 month and completed in February 2022.
- Operation Flow
- We believe that the integration of commercial and cultural facility creates more sustainable economic benefit. It elevated the brand value of the facilities and gives people opportunity to experience art and culture even if they just came for shopping, and vice versa. Our design inherited the culture and history of Nanjing city in a modern way while promoting wellbeing of the people by understanding their needs.
- Research
- By combining cultural-arts complex and commercial facility, it elevated the brand value of the mall. It gives people opportunity to experience art and culture even if they just came for shopping, and vice versa. Our design made the luxury mall feel less exclusive and more comfortable for everyone to stop by and enjoy.
- Inspiration
- The demand for shopping at physical stores dropped significantly when the recent pandemic started. More people felt comfortable shopping online. We believe what satisfies people is not just simply buying product, but it is the entire experience before and after it. We design the facility not just to offer a beautiful place, but to provide a space that people can enjoy quality time. What people can experience there is something people would not be able to experience if they were shopping online.
- Image Credits
- Inter_mountain
Colors of Deji Cultural Complex Museum
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Innovative Commercial Interior Design Services
We transform commercial spaces into immersive experiences that blend culture, art, and retail. Our award-winning designs eliminate boundaries to create fluid environments where shopping, culture, and community converge, elevating brand value and customer engagement.
G0E3 ShopDesign Interview about Deji Cultural Complex Museum
The main idea of this design is to eliminate the walls of the museum as much as possible. The design is intended to stimulate the visitor's interest and curiosity about the artworks, as if to arouse their curiosity about what is behind the fog or clouds.
Often, museums themselves feel closed to the expensive, elite world and inaccessible to the average person. Therefore, I wanted to create a museum that was open to audiences. By being open, people can easily become interested in art, and more people will have the opportunity to learn from works of art.
We are proceeding with plans to expand the area of the art museum.
Although the request was for a design for a museum, this is the design that was obtained by pursuing inspiration.
Peter Zumthor, John Pawson, Shigeru Uchida, etc.
Customers who come to shop at the mall
I collaborated with designers in sign design, lighting design, and programming design.