For comic book lovers, this only existed in their wildest imagination – until now. It’s the Disneyland of comic books: the “China Comic and Animation Museum” in Hangzhou, China. But “museum” hardly seems an adequate word to describe this 30,000 square meter masterpiece. It is the work of Dutch firm MVRDV, who have won the international competition for this feat of fantasy.   The museum is comprised of eight balloon-shaped components, meant to represent speech bubbles, arguably the most recognizable image in comic books. Each of the eight speech-bubble forms is occupied with its own function – there’s a comic book library, a permanent exhibit, and three cinemas. All eight sections are interconnected, allowing for a circular tour of the entire building. Set to break ground in 2012, the whimsical, larger-than-life museum is part of a larger master plan that will involve a series of parks, a public plaza and an expo centre.

Start saving for your plane ticket to China.