Open Architecture’s space museum in China looks like an extraterrestrial object

As suggested by the museum's name, the Space Crystals, the new building in Yantai resembles a mysterious meteorite.

Space Crystals. Yantai, China. Image courtesy of Open Architecture.

Space Crystals. Yantai, China. Image courtesy of Open Architecture.

Space Crystals. Yantai, China. Image courtesy of Open Architecture.

Space Crystals. Yantai, China. Image courtesy of Open Architecture.

Space Crystals. Yantai, China. Image courtesy of Open Architecture.

Space Crystals. Yantai, China. Image courtesy of Open Architecture.

Space Crystals. Yantai, China. Image courtesy of Open Architecture.

Space Crystals. Yantai, China. Image courtesy of Open Architecture.

Chinese studio Open Architecture presented its design for Space Crystals, a space museum in Yantai, the hometown of the first female Chinese spacewalker. According to the firm, the building will appear as “an extraterrestrial-looking object landed in a seaside park”.

Half of the stone-shaped facade will be in back-painted glass, while the other half, the south-facing one, will be covered with photovoltaic glass, able to generate the general lighting requirement of the whole building.

The central atrium – 20 meters high – with faceted walls that give shape to a polygonal surface, will be used as an exhibition space, and inside will be projected themed images. A spiral ramp will lead visitors to the upper exhibition floors and at the top there will be an open terrace overlooking the ocean. The museum will also house a theater and a bar, open even when the museum is closed.

Space Crystals is part of a larger master plan by Open Architecture for the seaside park and is planned to be completed in 2026.

Space Crystals. Yantai, China.

Image courtesy of Open Architecture.

Space Crystals. Yantai, China.

Image courtesy of Open Architecture.

Space Crystals. Yantai, China.

Image courtesy of Open Architecture.

Space Crystals. Yantai, China.

Image courtesy of Open Architecture.

Space Crystals. Yantai, China.

Image courtesy of Open Architecture.

Space Crystals. Yantai, China.

Image courtesy of Open Architecture.

Space Crystals. Yantai, China.

Image courtesy of Open Architecture.

Space Crystals. Yantai, China.

Image courtesy of Open Architecture.