the old Guangdong Museum was relocated to Zhujiang New Town. The new museum occupies 41,000 square meters above ground and 15,000 square meters underground. The building holds an interior area of 66,980 square meters with viewing areas for patrons comprising 21,000 square meters, including a large open grass slope around the building to the public. Architecture The design of the museum, comprising a kind of multi-layer and transparent spatial configuration, was inspired by the traditional Cantonese ivory puzzle ball, which is characterized by a stack of carved ivory, similar to an onion. Thus, the spatial arrangement of the museum is designed to follow the ivory-layered composition of traditional Cantonese crafted artwork with multiple transparent concentric layers expanding from the atrium towards the periphery spaces. The main circulation space is a spiral staircase that goes from the first floor to the top floor, landed in different exhibition areas on each floor. Separated by transparent glass and iron curtain, the corridors on each floor lead visitors from outside into the four-story atrium to gain an overall view of the interior space. The ivory puzzle ball represents the technique of Cantonese vernacular craftsmanship. Exhibition spaces The museum's main exhibition space consists of a room for historical artifacts, an exhibition space for the nature, and a vernacular art exhibition area, which together house the museum's permanent collections. Temporary exhibitions are updated frequently for the public, offering the citizens a chance to look at foreign art works and exotic treasures. The atrium and corridors are places for people to take a rest, while the office and administration spaces are on the top floor of the museum. See also List of museums in China References External links Archdaily: Guangdong Museum / Rocco Design Architects Official website of Guangdong Museum Guangdong Provincial Museum Museums in Guangzhou Natural history museums in China National first-grade museums of China History museums in China Tianhe District