The Daya Bay Nuclear Power Science and Technology Museum serves an instructional role in society by highlighting the scientific progress of nuclear energy around the world. Located in Shen Zhen Shi, China, it commemorates the opening of the power plants in the area during the 1980s.
This museum was primarily designed by E+UV Architecture and Huayi Design, with numerous other companies backing the project. The architects and designers also had consultations from the China Nuclear Industry Huaxing Construction Co., Ltd.
The project is built on a mountainside in one of the former pits used for quarrying resources for the nuclear power plant. It overlooks the sea and the power plants in the area.
There’s a certain harmony with the nature around it as well, with how gardens and trees are integrated into the blueprint of the project. Among the best ways they showcase this is through the banyan tree commemorating 40 years of history, replanted at the center of the museum plaza. Beyond that, the gardens surround the structure, including numerous trees inside and outside the building, as well as stone gardens that seek to echo its past as a quarry.
The facility itself is a giant geometric marvel, showcasing a rocky exterior that mirrors its location at a former quarry. The architects described the facility as a spiritual fortress, and one can see how its giant walls and rising building structure make it look like a citadel from the past.
The building itself has a criss-cross shape that rises from the ground and imbeds itself along the mountainside. Inspired by the dragon, the architects created a structure that can hold some of the enormous relics of industry inside the museum.
Much of the museum, especially its exhibition spaces, uses the stone structure to exemplify the ideas of industrial might. The ceilings are almost all stone, thickly layered together. The bare bones of the building are built akin to a factory, all strength and shielding incorporated together.
The rest of the museum, which contains two exhibition halls, a sea viewing platform, and the actual turbines used in nuclear energy, mimic the factory-like granite of the buildings itself. At times, going through the building gives you a sense of awe regarding the industrial power present.
A nuclear island is also prominently displayed in the building. This cylindrical building contains the essential ingredients to create the steam energy for nuclear power. Its presence here showcases its importance to the project as a whole, and how, when it comes to nuclear power, safety is a priority.
The Daya Bay Nuclear Museum showcases a comprehensive way of nuclear industrialization done right. From its fortress-like architecture to its educational exhibits about nuclear energy, it gives the public an easy, bite-sized understanding of what safe nuclear industrialization can look like.
Especially as the world continues to question what a post-oil world would look like, the Daya Bay Nuclear Museum gives us a potential roadway to safely creating energy in the future.
Related reading: National Museum of Singapore: A Story of Rebirth
Exhibition designer Baby Imperial of All At Once shaped the spatial strategy of ALT ART 2026, its largest edition to date. The fair occupied Halls 1 and 2 of SMX Convention Center Manila, expanding in both footprint and ambition. Organized by the ALT Collective—Artinformal, Blanc, The Drawing Room, Galleria Duemila, Finale Art File, MO_Space, Underground, […]
ALT ART, organized by the ALT Collective—Artinformal, Blanc, The Drawing Room, Galleria Duemila, Finale Art File, MO_Space, Underground, Vinyl on Vinyl, and West Gallery—presents a focused platform for Philippine contemporary art. As the fair continues to evolve, it expands its scale and curatorial scope, reinforcing its growing presence within the Philippine art scene. Creative Practices […]
Art Fair Philippines 2026 gathered art enthusiasts and collectors in Makati for one of the country’s leading showcases of contemporary Philippine art. Designed by Nazareno/Lichauco, the fair moved to Circuit Corporate Center One in Ayala Circuit, marking a new chapter in its spatial identity. Across its booths and projects, the fair positioned contemporary Philippine art […]
Ronald Ventura is one of the most recognizable figures in Southeast Asian contemporary art. Since his first solo exhibitions in the 2000s, Ventura has become known for his signature multi-layered paintings. Featuring hyperrealism, cartoons, graffiti, and other recurring motifs, hisworks—from paintings to sculptures—are pluralistic in both form and material. Throughout his career, his art has […]
As the built environment evolves, the role of the architect demands reconsideration. For Jose Siao Ling, Co-Founder and Principal Architect of Jose Siao Ling & Associates (JSLA Architects), the role extends far beyond being a licensed professional who designs and oversees construction. By championing ethical practice, ISO-certified systems, and mentorship-driven leadership, he built a firm […]
Public spaces in Metro Manila are often defined by movement rather than pause. People in transit hurry through; the underpass is a shortcut, not a place to stop. Underground, the installation by photography group FotomotoPH, reimagined the Paseo Underpass as a visual experience. FotomotoPH is a Philippine-based photography collective dedicated to promoting, exhibiting, and fostering […]
