Construction has been completed on the Binhai Science Museum, a 33,000-square-meter (355,200-square-foot) museum structure in Tianjin, China. Designed in 2013-2014, the Exploratorium is set to open in Fall 2019. The Exploratorium will showcase artifacts from Tianjin’s industrial past through large-scale contemporary technology, including spectacular rockets for space research. The project is part of the city’s Binhai Cultural Center and contains facilities for cultural events and exhibitions as well as galleries, offices, and restaurant and retail spaces.

Bernard Tschumi Architects designed the Exploratorium to relate to the rich industrial history of the area, the site of high-volume manufacturing and research. A series of large-scale cones creates major rooms throughout the museum. The central cone, lit from above, connects all three levels of the Exploratorium. A spiraling ramp ascends to the top level, offering an unusual spatial experience of the modern vertical city by reinterpreting an ancient industrial typology. The roof is accessible to visitors and acts as a promenade with striking views over the surrounding city. “The Exploratorium is designed as a building for the past, the present, and the future of Tianjin,” says Bernard Tschumi.