Wei Xiaodong · CLIENT: Beijing Four-Face lmage Environmental Art Design Co., Ltd.
Physics Vaults is an exhibition design for a science museum in Shandong, China. The interior covers about 7,000 square meters and holds five exhibition halls, an entrance zone and an immersive ring space. The halls are framed by a sequence of diminishing arches cast in a single pour of fair-faced concrete. The arched shells work as structure and as hidden cavities for building services and media systems. Large-scale apparatus, steel walkways, perforated metal and concealed lighting guide visitors through five key experiment scenes, making complex physics content easier to understand.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- Based on five key experiment scenes, including particle accelerators, the design features a sequence of halls framed by diminishing concrete arches. By integrating realistic large-scale apparatus with raw architectural form, the space fuses artistic immersion, scientific cognition, and philosophical speculation. This creates a top-tier innovative science museum experience, transforming engineering physics into a profound dialogue on humanity's shared pursuit of truth.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- The interior comprises five main exhibition halls, an entrance zone and an immersive ring space, with a total designed area of approximately 7,000 square meters.
- Tags
- Exhibition Design, Science Museum, Fair-faced Concrete, Particle Physics, Arch Structure, Spatial Narrative, Immersive Experience, Engineering Aesthetics, Integration
- Production Technology
- Arched shells are cast in a single pour of fair-faced concrete, serving as both primary structure and hidden cavity for MEP and media systems. Realistic large-scale apparatus is set directly against these raw surfaces to meet core science-education needs, while steel walkways, perforated metal and concealed lighting add an almost theatrical vividness, unifying exhibition and construction into one engineering-physics narrative.
- Design Challenge
- The main challenge was to integrate exhibition content and construction into a single system rather than simply adding displays to a finished shell. Large-span concrete arches had to work simultaneously as structure and service cavity while still supporting clear sightlines and narrative flow. At the same time, expert-level physics content needed to remain scientifically precise yet legible to non-specialist visitors.
- Project Duration
- The project started in 2015 in Shandong, China and finished in 2021.
- Operation Flow
- The design employs a dynamic narrative where spatial structure is isomorphic to the exhibition flow. Visitors traverse a sequence of diminishing arches, mirroring the focusing trajectory of particle beams. This progression connects five thematic halls, shifting focus from macro-scale apparatus to micro-scale artifacts. The journey flows from rational observation to immersive contemplation, ensuring physical movement aligns perfectly with the unfolding scientific story.
- Research
- The research focuses on exhibition and experiential space design, exploring how spatial language can connect advanced physics experiments with everyday public understanding. Grounded in scientific rigor and empirical observation, it examines how scale, material and narrative flow shape cognition and emotion, turning the science museum into a bridge between researchers and society and passing scientific spirit to younger generations.
- Inspiration
- Inspiration comes from the spatial language of high-energy physics infrastructure. Arches echo underground tunnels and protective bunkers, while exposed concrete conveys engineering rationality and authenticity. The space turns complex, expert-level knowledge into accessible experience, letting each visitor feel both their own scale and humanity's shared quest to understand the universe.
- Patents
- Wei Xiaodong
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