Yixing, China
Designed by Kengo Kuma & Associates, the UCCA Clay Museum in Yixing is a showcases the local ceramic culture and is aligned with the masterplan to redevelop the area and envisions a cultural center for ceramics, incorporating ateliers and workshops while preserving the remnants of decommissioned factories.
The site was once the center of Yixing’s ceramic culture, with its numerous pottery factories and ateliers.
The volume resembling a mountain of pottery is inspired by Shushan Mountain, located near the project site and cherished by the Northern Song dynasty writer Su Dongpo, as well as by the dragon kiln, a climbing kiln that has been in continuous use for 600 years.
The mountain-shaped volume was punctured to connect with the pottery factory and the canal, seamlessly integrating the building with the site’s axis and the surrounding factory complex.
The roof, an inverted shell structure carved by virtual spheres, is supported by four layers of wooden lattice beams.
This light yet strong wooden structure brings dynamic changes to the interior space and draws the line of sight and circulation flow deeper into the building.
The façade, which evokes the “temperature” of pottery in the manufactory, was developed in collaboration with local artisans. Its uneven surface is glazed with varying color gradations, creating different expressions depending on the time of day and season.
Warm and slightly coarse to the touch like Chinese tea ware, these ceramic panels embody the history and culture of the ceramic city, which has been passed down through the generations for more than 1,000 years.
Project: UCCA Clay Museum
Architects: Kengo Kuma & Associates
Lead Architect: Kengo Kuma
Design Team: Yutaka Terasaki, Mengxian Bao, Qirui Liu, Yiwen Shen, Pan Luo, Xiaoshan Huang, and Yoo Shiho (Graphic)
Illumination Consultant: Yushe Yuzhu
Contractors: Jiangsu Hanjian Group
Photographers: Fangfang Tian and Eiichi Kano
