Jining Museum (New Cultural Center) - Designed by Mario Botta

+ Architectural photographer takes you to see the architecture, all photos are original, unauthorized use is prohibited.

When it comes to Jining, Shandong, it may not be very well known, but everyone knows Qufu, the birthplace of Confucianism, which is under the jurisdiction of Jining City. Jining is an important birthplace of Dongyi culture, Chinese civilization, Confucian culture, Water Margin culture, Canal culture, and Qilu culture. The cultural ancestors Huangdi, Confucius—the Sage of Confucianism, Mencius—the Second Sage, Yan Hui—the Third Sage, historian Zuo Qiuming, and master craftsman Lu Ban were all born here.
This place is rich in cultural tourism resources. The "Three Confucian Sites" and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal are World Cultural Heritage sites. It has 41 nationally protected key cultural relics, including the Temple of Mencius and the Mansion of Mencius, as well as the Weishan Lake Tourist Area, a 5A-level tourist attraction.
Because of its long history and abundant treasures, the original Jining Museum on Guhuai Road could no longer accommodate everything, so a new museum was built.
As the name suggests, the new museum is located in the Cultural Center of Taibai Lake New District, next to the library designed by Academician He Jingtang and the art museum designed by Pritzker Prize winner Ryue Nishizawa, which was previously featured on Xiaohongshu.
The new museum was designed under the direction of world-renowned architect Mario Botta. The overall building is composed of stacked geometric shapes, with a total construction area of 27,237.73 square meters and four floors above ground.
Observations show that the building’s exterior has a very slight inverted triangle shape, and the facade is not completely vertical, with the upper part slightly slanting outward. Without a level, it is difficult to calibrate when photographing.
The new museum reflects Mario Botta’s consistent design style, including geometric lines, central symmetry, and natural lighting, all of which are evident in the new building.
Mario Botta is a famous Swiss architect whose works uniquely combine geometric order, site characteristics, and the use of light, earning him the title of "Eternal Geometric Poet."
His works, like his name, carry Italian stylistic influences. Botta first studied at the Milan Academy of Fine Arts, then at the University of Venice’s Faculty of Architecture, where he was guided by Carlo Scarpa and Giuseppe Mazzariol. He also had the fortune to work with industry giants Le Corbusier and Louis Kahn.
His works in China include the Tsinghua University Art Museum, Tsinghua University Humanities and Social Sciences Library, the No. 12 Hengshan Road Hotel in Shanghai, and the recently completed new campus of the Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts in Shenyang. These works share common design features such as combinations of square and circular geometric shapes, glass domes with excellent lighting, and brick-red building exteriors.
The Jining Museum (Cultural Center) exhibition area has seven large permanent exhibitions:
- The Jining Millennium Exhibition, reflecting ancestral culture, Zoulu culture, Confucian culture, and Water Margin culture;
- The Stone Carving Art Exhibition, showcasing the theme "Half of the Han Dynasty Steles in the World Are in Jining" and "Jining’s Han Dynasty Paintings Are the Best in the World";
- The Canal Culture Exhibition, based on the historical facts of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal passing through Jining;
- The Cultural Heritage Exhibition, displaying representative relics of outstanding traditional culture preserved on the ancient land of Jining.

Post by AdventurousAdventure | Sep 14, 2025