![Shenzhen Maritime Museum by SANAA](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2021/04/sanaa_shezhen-maritime-museum_architecture_news_dezeen_hero-852x479.jpg)
SANAA designs cloud-like structure for Shenzhen Maritime Museum
Japanese architecture studio SANAA has revealed its design for a museum in Shenzhen, which will be enclosed by a collection of hemispherical forms blanketed by a mesh louvred roof.
Dubbed Clouds on the Sea by SANAA, the 100,000-square-metre Shenzhen Maritime Museum will have a long horizontal, cloud-like structure that was designed to appear as if it was rolling off the South China Sea.
"Shenzhen Maritime Museum is a continuation of its natural environment between the mountain of Dapeng Peninsula and the sea of Longqi Bay," SANAA told Dezeen.
"Shenzhen Maritime Museum is a horizontal landmark imagined as clouds emerging from the sea, like a museum born out of the ocean."
![The museum has a cloud-like form by SANAA](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2021/04/sanaa_shezhen-maritime-museum_architecture_news_dezeen_2364_col_2-852x852.jpg)
SANAA designed the building to become a landmark on Longqi Bay. It will take shape as a collection of low-lying lattice domes covered in a stainless-steel louvred mesh.
"Structurally, the hemispherical dome space is designed as a glass sphere to introduce natural light and an opaque sphere to shield the natural light," said SANAA.
"Above these spheres lies a light floating stainless metal louvres mesh that shades visitors from the subtropical hot sunlight and provides a unified appearance with the landscape."
"Ultimately, the white cloud floats above the sea and changes its appearance at different weather and time."
![It has louvres on its roof by SANAA](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2021/04/sanaa_shezhen-maritime-museum_architecture_news_dezeen_2364_col_1-852x383.jpg)
The Maritime Museum will be organised into three exhibition areas positioned around a large lobby and several courtyards.
Its ground floor will be arranged as a continuous open-plan space without columns that will allow visitors to freely roam.
The building will connect with surrounding green spaces and a nearby wetland park to expand the museum's activity area toward the natural landscape.
"The low-lying large organic building is based on an ocean-museum-park integration concept and is both a continuation of the unique marine landscape and a celebration of marine culture open towards the city," said SANAA.
SANAA's design was selected as the winning proposal to an international competition arranged as part of the Shenzhen New Ten – a city-wide development plan that will see 10 new cultural buildings constructed.
Other projects being developed as part of master plan include the Shenzhen Opera House designed by Jean Nouvel and a pebble-shaped science museum designed by Zaha Hadid Architects.
All images are by SANAA.