The Wenchuan Earthquake was one of the deadliest quakes in China in the last 30 years where 70,000 people lost their lives. To commemorate the event, the Chinese government commissioned a memorial museum. Designed by Cai Yongjie, the museum uses the landscape around it to commemorate the tragedy. From an aerial view, one can see how the area mimics those of fault lines. The entire venue spans across a valley and is surrounded by forestry and is set beside a small road. The subterranean buildings within the landscape have roofs topped with greenery while the exterior of the structures are a muddy reddish hue that references the earth.
The memorial of the Wenchuan Earthquake is beautiful in its entirety and is a solemn and serene reminder of the lives that were lost a few decades ago.
Photo Credits: designboom, amusingplanet
Why This Trend Is Growing
- Disaster Memorial Museums
- Creating landscape and architectural designs that commemorates natural disaster victims.
- Landscape-inspired Architecture
- Designing buildings or structures that mimic natural formations, such as fault lines, to add meaning and significance to their purpose.
- Subterranean Buildings
- Building partially or fully underground structures to blend in with the surrounding landscape while preserving land for other purposes.
Industries Being Reshaped
- Architecture
- Innovative architects and designers can create structures that serve a deeper purpose beyond their everyday functions.
- Tourism
- Creating memorials and museums that commemorate disasters can become a new type of tourist attraction for people who want to pay their respects and learn about history.
- Environmental Conservation
- Creating new ways to preserve and use natural landscapes can be beneficial for both humans and the environment by enhancing natural beauty and preserving land for future generations.
