Organized around two central courtyards, the project presents a spatial experience that resembles a natural landscape, where circulation and exhibition spaces are playfully situated in an organic manner (Image 5). The Chinese culture has always held an appreciative attitude towards natural spectacles; its superior position in shaping the China’s socio-political philosophies is evident in various forms of cultural representation throughout history, ranging from artworks, literature and design aesthetics.[14] Consequently, gardens have been crucial components in large-scale historical monuments as illustrations of power and elegance while functioning as abstract, sophisticated embodiments of Chineseness wherever they are placed.[15] Standing as the central attractions of the museum’s coherent narrative, the gardens contain poetic, intellectual connotations that intimately link the past with present, echoing the theme of time in the design.[16] Wang incorporates a deliberate openness in the work by allowing his audience to formulate their own understandings to the space, where the crafted spaces and personal interpretations of the public participate in a continuous feedback loop that gains richness in meaning over time. Figuratively, it offers a heterotopia for the Ningbo society to reconnect with their collective memories through personal interactions with the design in infinite amount of ways. The river stream that welcomes the visitors upon entrance, relating back to nature, poetically indicates a return to spaces of pureness that now only exist within the city’s memories.[17] Instead of defining harsh boundaries like the glass boxes of International Style, designing around visitors’ behaviors also emphasizes the superiority of human, providing them with the confidence that they hold power in relation to their environment. In his works, the architect follows his belief that true architectural form should not be determined by detailed planning, but by true, natural, emotion-driven experiences.[18] By appealing to the intimate emotions of society rather than presenting specific “national” images, the museum characterizes the modern Chinese attitude to addresses needs of its local population over the need to impress others due to the gradually gained self-confidence. Evidently, the Ningbo Historic Museum is a conscious, ambitious attempt for Chinese design to establish a national identity in the new age with a firmer attitude.

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As a present-day response to the existing cultural context characterized by an unprecedented national unity, the themes of community and collectivity are expressed through the museum’s construction process. Proven by the innumerable monuments over the last few millennia but lacked recognition of individual designers, "the Chinese tend to emphasize human society as opposed to the emphasis on the individual in the West".[19] Contrasts in social significance can also be seen between the hand-made process of the Ningbo museum and the automated, machine-fabricated skyscrapers in its immediate surroundings: handicraft procedures emphasize the pureness and importance of collective contribution rather than a specific result. In other words, multiple forces were interwoven into the architectural processes to altogether construct a “modern national identity”.[20] As mentioned in Eggener’s text regarding the concept of Critical Regionalism, national character should not be expressed through familiar imagery, but through a comfortable, relatable atmosphere.[21] Citizens of Ningbo were directly involved in the design process by offering their opinions on the local context and city history, adding an extra layer of emotional warmth to the project. Furthermore, local craftsmen also directly contributed their expertise, creating a closer inter-personal relationship rather than establishing a labor hierarchy.[22] The period of Communist architecture contained clear messages about the control of its people; under Mao’s instructions, the Cultural Revolution’s demolishment of the palatial architectures of previous generations reflected the desire to “renew” and transform the nation.[23] Both types of past designs were created specifically by appointed professionals, aimed to serve high political or social class individuals. On the other hand, Wang incorporated local workers as the dominant labor force, utilizing their expertise in vernacular construction methods while respecting their personal wills to contribute artistically towards their city.[24] The changes in the labor procedures reflect the changes in cultural attitude towards its own population, where the domestic concerns are now being prioritized. The workers' freedom in spontaneously placing material pieces and producing unique visual patterns brings an ideal amount of unpredictability into the design, which results in a more comforting, relatable environment.[25] As stated by architectural critic Evan Chakroff in his journal about the Ningbo Historic Museum, its construction "[…] poses an architectural attitude that does not depend on iconic forms, but retains these essential qualities of the historical fabric that are most endangered in the rush of modernization”.[26] The process makes the museum a pure product of the culture it is rooted in; by finding new ways to recontextualize traditional practices to answer the calls of contemporary society, the museum introduces an appropriate response to how heritage should be appreciated today. Amateur Architecture Studio has been eagerly fighting against the “wholesale construction”, defined by monotonous appearance and similar design recipes, that is erasing China’s architectural definition in the modern age for seeking convenience or economic benefits.[27]

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In its materiality, the Ningbo Historic Museum proposes new definitions of regionality and vernacular design that indicate a thorough search back into cultural roots; a comforting atmosphere, rather than a series of familiar elements, is then created for appealing to a collective urban memory.[28] In the project, materiality functions to visibly address the narrative of local heritage and societal progression. Historical constructions commonly used heavy and visually stunning materials, such as marble, stone and carefully crafted wood, to project collective ambitions for everlasting national strength.[29] With intentional omissions of monumental, polished materials, Wang Shu’s design contrasts all previously established architectural formulas by utilizing historical substances with a present-day mindset that shows a modern appreciation for nature and heritage. Different from contemporary Chinese designs that are mostly future-oriented, eager to demonstrate the contemporary powers or strength, design choices here encapsulate the desire to rectify the land’s fractured past,  demonstrating an intention to compensate the damages done to the cultural landscape through the recent decades of rapid development.[30] Wang’s Amateur Architecture Studio has been prominent in the professional industry for their emphasis on the innate properties of materials to produce pedestrian-scale, humancentric urban architecture.[31] In their entry project for the 2006 Venice Biennale, Wang and his team used more than 60,000 porcelain pieces and manually constructed a vernacular style shelter by hand over a week’s time, expressing a unique cultural attitude.[32] In this project, the practice of wapan （瓦爿）is implemented. Wapan constructions, a unique hybrid of more than 80 types of local, accessible materials, including stone, grass, mud, bricks and porcelain, are environmentally friendly while bearing historical significance (Image 6).[33] The museum proposes a way for tradition to be revitalized fundamentally in the contemporary context through active usage and people's recognition instead of existing formally. These references that depend on certain extent of previous knowledge about Chinese philosophies or local history implicitly indicate that the target audience is the local people rather than outsiders, conveying heritage on a deeper conceptual level than what directly meets the eye. It resonates with their belief that they are designing a “house and not a building”, where the studio separates the material reality of architecture with the abstract universe it creates within.[34]