Currently, the exterior construction of Suzhou Museum West Branch is already finished and its interior decoration is near to completion. It is scheduled to be officially opened to the public in the upcoming National Day holiday.
Design
Located under the Shishan Mountain in SND, Suzhou Museum West Branch has a construction area of 48,365 square meters, including 13,391 square meters of exhibition area.
Dubbed the "ten boxes", the west branch is designed by gmp Architekten in Germany and accords with the group's design idea – durable, simple and practical. It is worth noting that the way the buildings connect coincides with the crisscrossing yet well-arranged layout of Suzhou.
Exhibition
The museum will roll out the first general history exhibition in Suzhou to showcase the city's 10,000-year development from the Paleolithic age to the Republic of China period.
The exhibition of Suzhou handicrafts will look back on the development of the city's handicraft industry from Song (960-1279 AD) and Yuan (1271-1368 AD) dynasties to the present age.
Up to 267 pieces/sets of the British Museum's Roman relics will be on display at the opening exhibition of the International Exchange Hall, which marks the beginning of the four-year exhibition cooperation between Suzhou Museum and British Museum. It is also the first time for this series of exhibits to be showcased in Asia.
An exploration and experience hall is situated on the basement level one, where visitors can expect to share memories about Suzhou and their childhood and explore the natural world at the same time.
Transportation
More than 3,000 parking spaces on Shishan Culture Square are under construction. In addition, the underground courtyard of the museum will be connected to the rail transit entrance.
Upon completion, Suzhou Museum West Branch will become a new landmark of the 2500-year-old city. Let's look forward to the grand opening of the museum!
Timeline of the West Branch
March, 2018
The construction work began
May, 2021
Its orientation and exhibitions were unveiled for the first time
Mid-August, 2021
Its exterior construction is finished and the interior decoration is near to completion.
The end of August, 2021
The exhibits will arrive at the museum
The end of September, 2021
It will start trial operations
National Day holiday, 2021
It will be officially opened to the public
