国家南海博物馆是以海洋和南海文化为主题的大型国家级文化设施。总体设计将博物馆与南海文化广场以及国家水下文化遗产保护中心整合规划，打造富有活力的城市中心滨水区。建筑布局尊重场地现状，保留基地内的河道，充分利用竖向高差，用立体基面的手法组织滨水的休闲活动和跨河的建筑功能互不干扰。建筑形体顺应地形面向大海呈环抱状，同时在海面组织大型户外观演、休闲空间。

The National South China Sea Museum is a large-scale national cultural facility with the theme of ocean and South China Sea culture. The overall design integrates the museum with the Nanhai Cultural Square and the National Underwater Cultural Heritage Protection Center to create a vibrant urban central waterfront. The layout of the building respects the current situation of the site, retains the river in the base, makes full use of the vertical elevation difference, and uses the technique of three-dimensional base plane to organize waterfront leisure activities and cross-river building functions without interference. The shape of the building is hugging the sea in accordance with the terrain. At the same time, large outdoor performance and leisure space are organized on the sea surface.