Urban history is constantly being erased by rapid modern reurbanisation, but the architecture of the Wuhan Art Museum is a reminder that past and present need not be mutually exclusive. Here cultural memories are transformed into functional objects and furniture. The seating in the rest area goes back to the street culture of the past, when people would sit and chat in front of each other’s doors. Architects have rearranged the symmetry of traditional compound houses, and historic vaults, bell towers and balconies are simplified as geometric volumes. This seemingly random spatial configuration creates a sense of fun and vitality.