A design for the eastern branch of the Shanghai Museum, a new cultural landmark in Lujiazui, Pudong, Shanghai, which began construction on Sept 27. [Photo/Pudong Times]    

The eastern branch of the Shanghai Museum, a new cultural landmark, started construction in Lujiazui, Pudong New Area, Shanghai on Sept 27, and is expected to be completed in 2020.

Sitting to the west of Shanghai Science and Technology Museum, the new branch will cover a combined floor area of 105,000 square meters.

According to its design, the building will be 45 meters high with six floors above ground and two floors underground.

The building's huge cuboid exterior will be covered with a rippling marble surface, symbolizing Shanghai's location being where the sea meets the land, as well as the city's pioneering spirit.

The new museum will also include more open space, such as side halls for leisure, outdoor terraces and gardens, than its predecessor in People's Square, to give visitors a better experience.

Advanced digital technology will be used in the displays throughout the museum in the hope of attracting an increasing number of young visitors.

Visitors will also be able to take a peak behind the curtain at how the Shanghai Museum restores, stores, and preserves its vast collection of priceless artifacts at the new branch. The Lujiazui museum will allow visitors to access parts of its storage areas and restoration facilities.

The new museum is designed to be a world-class museum of classical Chinese art, including calligraphy, paintings and handicrafts. It aims to introduce ancient Chinese art to the world and promote Shanghai's cultural development.

The eastern branch is considered complementary to the original museum in People's Square, which mainly displays bronzes and ceramics. The original Shanghai Museum covers an area of 39,200 square meters with 11 galleries and three special temporary exhibition halls. The new branch solves the problems of the limited space and a lack of display area in the first Shanghai Museum.

After completion, it is predicted that the new museum will be able to receive 20,000 visitors per day.