Macau targets 2029 opening for first phase of national museum of culture

Macau plans to select an architectural concept this year for a new national museum cultural center on the waterfront east of the Macau Tower. The Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) revealed Thursday that the first phase of the nearly 100,000-square-meter project is targeted for completion and public opening by the end of 2029.

According to the IC, the Macao National Museum of Culture (NMC) is intended to become the first priority project within the Macau International Integrated Tourism and Culture Zone.

The Macau International Integrated Tourism and Culture Zone is a planned cultural district that will also include an international performing arts center and a museum of contemporary art. The project is part of the MSAR government’s broader effort to expand the city’s cultural infrastructure and strengthen its appeal as a tourism and leisure destination beyond gaming.

Leong Wai Man, president of the IC, said the proposed complex would occupy a coastal site east of Macau Tower, near Nam Van Lake and Sai Van Lake. The location would offer waterfront views and sit close to the historic center while remaining away from residential areas, she said.

“The entire project will have a gross construction area of nearly 100,000 square meters, so it is a project of considerable scale,” Leong stated at yesterday’s press conference held at the Macao Cultural Centre.

“We very much hope that Phase 1 can be completed before the end of 2029, allowing more residents and visitors to access it,” she added.

According to the IC, the government has invited 10 architectural teams to submit concept proposals. The group includes four overseas teams from Portugal, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, three teams from mainland China and three local teams.

The designs will later be assessed by urban planning and cultural heritage experts, as well as public-sector representatives.

During the press conference, officials declined to name the firms while the selection process remains under way. However, Leong said the shortlisted teams were chosen because they had experience designing major cultural facilities, especially museums, and had received related awards.

On budget, officials said a project budget has not yet been set. “Regarding the budget, we first need to wait until a design proposal has been selected,” Leong explained to the press. “Once we have a design, we will be in a position to estimate the budget more accurately.”

The museum complex is planned to include the principal museum building, exhibition areas, collections storage and restoration facilities, social education and cultural exchange spaces, food and beverage outlets, family leisure areas, green space and underground parking. Officials said it would provide a larger platform for displaying Macau’s own historical and cultural collections, while also hosting exhibitions from national museums, cultural institutions and international partners.

Project details

The project will be split into two construction phases, with the smaller first stage designed to give the public early access while the rest of the complex is built.

According to the IC, Phase 1 will focus on Macau’s history and culture, involving the city’s role as a significant node on the Maritime Silk Road.

It will also include exhibitions on China’s development and culture, as well as displays explaining the intended functions, spaces and architectural design of the full museum.

“Once Phase 1 is completed, residents and visitors will not only be able to learn more about Macau’s history and culture through thematic exhibitions, but will also be able to gain a clearer understanding of what the future museum will offer,” Leong said.

In addition, the first phase is intended to open as soon as it is finished, rather than waiting for completion of the larger second stage, officials said.

Officials detailed that most of the museum’s core functions and main spaces will be constructed in Phase 2.

As for the timetable for that work and the final relationship between the two phases, these will depend on the winning architectural proposal.

Officials said the Phase 1 construction tender would be handled first after the conceptual design is selected. They added that future construction would be required not to interfere with the public operation of the first phase.

“At present, because of limited exhibition space, we are unable to comprehensively display many aspects of Macau’s history or many of the cultural relics in our collections,” an official said. “In the future museum, there will therefore be dedicated areas presenting Macau’s history and culture,” Leong explained.

The museum project will also seek to integrate with the southern waterfront green corridor rather than replace it. The Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) said Zones 1 and 2 of the waterfront project had already opened and that minor changes had been made to the plan for Zone 3 after the museum proposal emerged.

“There is actually no overlap,” the IAM official said. “The future museum will be better integrated with the waterfront promenade.”

Wong Kei Lok, head of the Municipal Affairs Bureau’s construction division, said the changes involved a small adjustment to the boundary between the projects and would not substantially affect the overall green-corridor scheme, its area or the arrangement of facilities.

As highlighted by the media, the site is currently used for temporary parking of large coaches. Transport officials said the buses could remain until construction starts, with alternative parking sites planned in Taipa and on the Macau Peninsula.

The IC said preliminary planning for the other two proposed cultural-zone facilities – the Macau International Performing Arts Centre and the Macau Museum of Contemporary Art – is expected to begin in 2027. Authorities aim to complete design work and launch the related engineering tenders by 2030.