UCCA Clay Museum | Kengo Kuma and associates
Yixing / China / 2024
We designed an art museum to showcase the ceramic culture in Yixing, known as the “ceramic capital” and renowned for its production of pottery using purple clay. The site was once the center of Yixing's ceramic culture, with its numerous pottery factories and ateliers. This project aligns 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 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 facade, 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.
UCCA陶美術館
紫泥を用いた陶器の生産地として名高く、「陶都」と呼ばれる宜興市に、陶文化を展示する美術館をデザインした。敷地はかつて陶器工場やアトリエが建ち並び、宜興の陶文化の中心地であった場所で、再開発のマスタープランに沿って、稼働を終えた工場の遺構を生かしながら、アトリエ、ワークショップを含む陶芸文化のセンターを創造した。
陶器の山のようなヴォリュームは、北宋時代の文豪・蘇東坡が愛した敷地に近い蜀山や、600年間現役で使われている龍窯(登り窯)にインスパイアされた。その山の形のヴォリュームに陶器工場や運河と繋がる孔をあけ、敷地の軸線や工場群とをシームレスに繋いだ。仮想の球面によって削り取られた逆シェル構造の屋根は、四重の木造格子梁によって支えられ、軽やかで力強いこの木造梁は内部空間にダイナミックな変化をもたらすとともに、視線や動線を奥へと引き込んでいく。
マニファクチュアで陶器の「温度」を感じられるファサードは地元の職人と共同で開発した。表面には凹凸や釉薬によるグラデーショナルな色の変化を施し、時間や季節に合わせて様々な表情を生み出す。中国茶器のように温かみがあり、僅かにザラザラとした土の粒子の手触りが残るこの陶板は、1000年以上綿々と受け継がれてきた陶都の歴史や文化を体現している。

We designed an art museum to showcase the ceramic culture in Yixing, known as the “ceramic capital” and renowned for its production of pottery using purple clay. The site was once the center of Yixing's ceramic culture, with its numerous pottery factories and ateliers. This project aligns 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 volume...
- Year 2024
- Work finished in 2024
- Status Completed works
- Type Museums
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