The 2,500 year old Grand Canal is the world’s longest man-made waterway. It links Beijing in the north with Hangzhou in the south and is regarded as the greatest engineering feat of all time. It was an act of Chinese nation building on an epic scale long before the Romans invaded Britain.

Imagemakers came first in an international competition to create an interpretive planning and design concept for this highly experiential museum. Built around the core theme of ‘A conduit of culture and civilization’, we developed a story that unfolds through the museum like a drama. Visitors are invited to enter into this drama, interacting with the exhibition, collection and cultural performances along the way. In doing so, they will come to realize how their own life is woven into the history and heritage of the canal.

The museum sits alongside the Grand Canal and was designed by Swiss architects Herzog and de Meuron.  The next design stages are due in 2023-24.