Ningbo Museum was designed by Wang Shu, the first Chinese citizen to win the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2012.

After a period of rapid growth in the wake of the Treaty of Nanjing, many traditional buildings were demolished in order to create space for new construction.

After collecting stones and bricks from demolished structures in the surrounding area, the architect gave the builders some freedom in arranging these to create walls, using the wapan technique.

Wang Shu was adamant on using this building technique as it maintains the practice of traditional Chinese construction, recalling the history of his and the project’s home.

These upper levels fracture, like the mountains near the site, breaking into five smaller sections of sharp geometric shapes.

Opponents of using these materials noted that the town of Ningbo was moving towards a more modern aesthetic, and that this museum would keep them in the past.

Major stories are about ancient cultures, the expansion of the city, overseas commerce, the development of Eastern Zhejiang Scholars and Ningbo Commercial Group.

Wax models and mock buildings and modern electronic techniques are used to show a traditional commercial street in Ningbo.