Monumental walls of ancient weathered bricks rise in disciplined horizontal bands on both flanking sides of this exhibition hall, their warm ochre and pale buff tones creating a rhythmic masonry tapes

Yuan Zhuang's Exhibition Hall reveals an interior architecture of profound restraint and precision, where the interplay of graphite-toned surfaces establishes a contemplative spatial rhythm that honor

Yuan Zhuang's Exhibition Hall presents a masterfully orchestrated interior architectural composition where neutral chromatic restraint establishes contemplative spatial dignity, the dominant palette c

Yuan Zhuang's Exhibition Hall presents a commanding spatial narrative where a meticulously crafted physical model occupies the foreground with extraordinary three-dimensional complexity, its undulatin

Yuan Zhuang's Exhibition Hall presents a masterfully orchestrated spatial narrative where monumental calligraphic stone panels command the upper register, elevated upon robust dark structural supports

Gold Interior Space and Exhibition Design · 2026

Nanjing City Wall Museum Exhibition Hall

by Yuan Zhuan and Quan Liu

A' Design Award 2026 Gold Winner in Interior Space and Exhibition Design
Awarded April 15, 2026
CLIENT: Jiangsu Bozhan Cultural Creative Industry Co., Ltd.
Estimated Number of Design Views: 39,603
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About Nanjing City Wall Museum Exhibition Hall

Nanjing City Wall Museum exhibition hall is an interior space that presents the history of the Nanjing City Wall. The hall covers 2500 square meters on the basement floor, with ceiling heights of six and four meters. Five zones explain the wall's construction, preservation and cultural value. An array space built from nearly a thousand inscribed city bricks is supported by steel structures. Fair-faced concrete and custom aluminum panels form the display walls. More than twenty interactive modules, including 3D sandboxes and tactile artifacts, serve visitors of all ages.

Yuan Zhuang's Exhibition Hall presents a profoundly considered meditation on the relationship between historical material culture and contemporary museological practice, transforming what might conventionally serve as archival storage into an immersive experiential environment that elevates humble construction materials to objects worthy of sustained contemplation. The design demonstrates remarkable sensitivity to the inherent qualities of its subject matter, allowing the accumulated patina of centuries to speak through carefully orchestrated environmental conditions that honor the authenticity of each brick specimen while creating a cohesive visual narrative of preservation and cultural transmission. The compositional strategy employs a processional spatial sequence that draws visitors along a central axis defined by flanking walls of historic masonry, their systematic arrangement on dark steel shelving creating a powerful rhythm of warm earth tones against cool industrial infrastructure that speaks eloquently to the dialogue between past and present, permanence and change. Technically accomplished in its integration of ambient and accent lighting, the scheme creates intimate zones of focused attention within the larger monumental envelope, while the low-profile vitrine installations in the foreground establish an accessible entry point for close examination of individual specimens. The indigo velvet display grounds provide sophisticated chromatic complement to the warm brick palette while conferring appropriate ceremonial dignity upon these cultural artifacts. One notes the deliberate restraint of the material vocabulary, with neutral ceiling planes and polished floor surfaces allowing the featured collection to command visual primacy throughout the experience. The inclusion of a human figure within this cathedral-like space invites consideration of the relationship between individual experience and collective cultural memory, suggesting that these preserved fragments serve as tangible connections across generations of human endeavor.

Press Kit

Unique Properties: With the concept of "Presenting the Wall", the exhibition hall shows the grandeur of the Nanjing City Wall by emphasizing its role as a world cultural heritage site. With five zones, it interprets the Nanjing City Wall's cultural value from thousand-year-old history to the modern protection of cultural heritage. It applies various interactive installations like the pioneering array space made of nearly a thousand city bricks and 3D sandboxes, offering a cultural feast for all-age audiences.
Dimensions & Packaging: The exhibition hall is located in the basement floor of the museum building, covering an area of 2500 square meters. The ceiling height of the space is 6 meters, with some areas having a ceiling height of 4 meters.
Tags: Nanjing City Wall exhibition, World Cultural Heritage site, "Presenting the Wall", an array space made from nearly a thousand city bricks, 3D sandbox, interactive installations, all-age audiences, cultural feast, immersive experience, sustainabile designs.
Production Technology: The exhibition hall is China's first to integrate an ancient city sandbox with a colored terrazzo inlaid map on the floor, highlighting key areas while enhancing the spatial depth. Fair-faced concrete and custom aluminum panels are used for display walls, balancing aesthetic texture and durability. Over 20 modules (3D sandboxes, tactile artifacts, interactive installations, etc.) offer an immersive touring experience that closes the distance between audiences and the Nanjing City Wall.
Design Challenge: The exhibition hall pioneers an array space made of nearly a thousand city bricks, which are directly sourced from the Nanjing City Wall and bear unique inscriptions, imbuing the exhibition hall with high cultural value. It uses steel structures to ensure the safe display of historical artifacts and maximize the audiences' immersive visual experience, delivering visual and cultural impact.
Project Duration: The project finished in May 2023 in Nanjing.
Operation Flow: The exhibition hall interweaves large-scale artifact displays with small-volume interactive areas through a well-planned visitor route. From layout to form design, it establishes a coherent and sophisticated display system, enhancing the connection between the museum and the city wall ruins. Besides, it offers multiple interaction activities like brick inscription surname queries, wall memory recordings, and immersive animation, satisfying the needs of all-age audiences.
Research: The exhibition hall presents the Nanjing City Wall's cultural value as a testament to urban civilization, a model of ancient engineering, and a paradigm of human-environment relationship. It pioneers an array space made of nearly a thousand city bricks, with digital interactive installations to balance grand narratives with engaging activities, fusing cultural heritage and public education.
Inspiration: Inspired by the Nanjing City Wall's masonry techniques and spatial enclosure features, the exhibition hall adopts a unique architectural design. It is dominated by city wall gray and accentuated by thematic colors such as Forbidden City red and moat blue, enriching visual layering and embodying cultural depth. It pioneers an array space made of nearly a thousand city bricks, aided by multi-sensory digital interactive installations, creating a museum that is friendly to all-age audiences.
Image Credits: Jiangsu Bozhan Cultural Creative Industry Co., Ltd.