A natural reserve in the south of China at the foot of the Gaoligong mountains hosts the Museum of Handcraft Paper project designed by the Trace Architecture Office, at the entrance to a village famous for its long handcraft paper manufacturing tradition.
The museum's creation comes within a plan aimed at preserving and developing traditional techniques passed down from generation to generation as an essential contribution for the cultural and social protection and growth of the village community of Xinzhuang.
The building is made up of an exhibition area which will tell the history, techniques and the products of handcrafted paper, a library, a working area and rooms where artists and visitors can stay.
The project was designed to provide architecture strongly integrated in the surrounding landscape: indeed local building materials were employed and traditional technical techniques and local craftsmen were preferred.
The work intends to combine the quality of contemporary Chinese architecture with the typical features of an unspoilt rural context, thanks to the use of materials like fir wood, bamboo, volcanic stone and of course paper. Materials designed to become worn and faded in time, making the connection between the architecture of the museum and the natural environment even closer.
Handcrafted paper is applied to 45x45 cm wooden square modules and used to line the walls: the white paper walls of the galleries create a soft and warm atmosphere.
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