The inauguration of the Sanbaopeng Art Museum in 2016 marked our first venture into public architecture.Thus marked the beginning of Sanbaopeng Art Colony and the onset of Jingdezhen evolution into a growing tourist destination. As luck would have it, it was also the beginning of our architectural design inspired by porcelain.
The original site was a dense woodland, with trees possessing a profound, powerful, and cohesive. Our intention was to coexist the commercial and studio spaces into the forest. The commercial is either enclosed or open, whilst the studio area is both autonomous and connected.
Co-studio + Commercial spaces: The two distinct senses of space become more independent due to the appearance of the second ground.At the lower floor, there is an open commercial area where the limits of buildings and courtyards constantly change in accordance with the curve of the porcelain. The internal courtyard and the streets blend and intersect, creating a liberating space where individuals can linger and roam freely. At a higher level, there is a tranquil studio floor that consists of several porcelain-shaped studios located closely together.
The trees located within the courtyard have combined to create a new forest, connecting the two floors together. Consequently, the sense of isolation between the two functions has been weakened by the shared courtyard. The upper and lower floors can now both enjoy the beauty of the same plants. Thus, the two distinct functional spaces operate both independently and interactively.
Independent studio + Workshop: This area is situated in the southern aspect of the project site.Between the mountains and forests, the porcelain-shaped elements delineate the site into independent studios, courtyards, exhibition halls, and sheds. Architecture merges with the natural contours of the surrounding mountains, enabling a harmonious dialogue between the building's second floor and nearby trees and peaks.With regards to spatial form, the workshop transforms the relationship between tourists and kilns into a complementary one. The abstract porcelain shape and the realistic mountain forest interact with each other to create a natural place.
Subsequently, we explored a new direction and bestowed upon this project the name “Floating Green Island”.As indicated by its nomenclature, we covered a substantial roof that is located at the center of the industrial park. The communal garden is located on top of the roof. Our aspiration is for this measure to provide more breathing space throughout the entire park. Under the expansive roof, numerous courtyards are separated by curved pathways, and these courtyards connect independent collaborative studios. Despite the dispersed and flexible spatial layout, the presence of the great roof brings together the originally scattered small-scale spaces. The lowest level consists of exhibition halls with various dimensions, this halls positioned beneath expansive eaves and forming courtyards and alleys. The labyrinthine layout of this area enhances visitors' enjoyment during their tour, while the easily accessible transportation system significantly improves convenience. Additionally, it creates more flexible and free outdoor commercial display areas.
Despite the ultimate failure of the design to materialize, I still greatly enjoyed this interesting and beneficial attempt. This encompassed the subsequent design of Rider Partner Equestrian Club, which was influenced by this methodology. It is plausible that emulating the tangible form will engender more novel ideas and experiences.
In the design process, in instances where the initial approach proves ineffective, it is essential to quickly find an alternative solution. Consequently, the second phase of the design was completed, which included several functions such as a ceramics workshop, restaurant, tea room, hotel, and studio.
Prior to the architectural design, multiple area and functions were designed and planed by UDG on the site.Based on this premise, we hope that the business format will be more flexible with more possibilities for future use. Consequently, all of these buildings have been deliberately designed as empty spaces with various shapes, hoping that their occupants will provide them with more substantial content. It transpires that the majority of buildings are utilized differently to their initial design, and some occupants have made changes to the buildings during their interior renovations.
As an illustration,in the ceramics workshop,our original design was a building specifically designed for producing and exhibiting ceramics. As a result, the first and second levels were sizable open spaces. The ceiling consists of folded plates with no beams that converge in three courtyards.The facade was designed to be more open so as to cater to the needs of production and exhibition. Subsequently, however, the building was converted into a hotel. The interior spaces necessitated some closures and interruptions.
The restaurant adjacent to the Sanbaopeng Art Museum is located in the southern direction of a flowing stream. Its southern side is covered by soil, which creates a cozy square in conjunction with the Sanbaopeng Art Museum. This space can be utilized to host bazaar events. Simultaneously, there is also a patch of forest that has been preserved to enhance the appearance of the park's entrance.Located in the vicinity of both the forest and the stream lies an extended tea room that is inextricably linked to the very shade of the trees, but lower and wider than the big tree. The visitors must carefully descend along a series of stone steps, the closer you get to the stream, the lower your sight will be.
Walking along the long rammed-earth walls of the Sanbaopeng Art Museum and upstream of the creek, the volume and density of the buildings suddenly increased significantly. Another hotel and artist studio with intertwined units both face towards an internal courtyard. The use of red bricks as the main material accentuates the exterior appearance of the building. The highest integrated building in the park has a large area of glass curtain walls. The exterior staircase that grants access to the rooftop garden ascends in a spiraling manner, intertwining with lofty trees. This mitigates the volumetric perception of the adjacent red brick buildings.
Situated at the center of the entire park, we initially designed a building made of red bricks. With the gradual construction of the surrounding buildings were gradually constructed, the site became increasingly congested. Consequently, we chose to forego the commercial potential of the land and instead sought out a more leisurely experience. We redesigned a glass building that was surrounded by a dense thicket of bamboo. Our ultimate goal was to enable everyone in the park to have a moment of calmness and relaxation.
How is this experiential ambiance created? My initial inclination is to elongate the 150-meter long rammed earth wall within the Sanbaopeng Art Museum. However, there is a pathway that connects the two sites, and taking into consideration the cost factor, we simply made a joke and wrote a conspicuous Chinese character "long (长)" in the bird's-eye view.
In practice, it is essential that the Chinese character "长" to possess rationality.The angles of multiple strokes of Chinese characters are extended in order to provide ample space for the growth of vegetation. Each stroke of the Chinese character "长" is bolstered by a triangular formation, where the base being wider than the apex. By allowing ample space for the growth of plant branches and leaves to expand upward while maintaining reasonable and efficient of forced.This form enables plants to absorb more sunlight while also providing shelter for buildings located underneath the tree. The indoor space expands in multiple directions, and the glass reflects the shade emitted by the foliage. The interior and exterior are integrated, which can cause people to potentially become disoriented within the space. The summer season in Jingdezhen is still excessively hot, therefore, the building are equipped with ventilation windows on both the upper and lower levels. This creates an effect similar to that of a chimney, enhancing convection. Simultaneously, a crimson covering was draped over the building's roof, which was nestled among lush green bamboo. The red character "长" stood out even more prominently as a result.
Ten years have passed since we began working on the design of the Sanbaopeng Art Museum, and I'm not sure if our design has developed over time. Nonetheless, I am cognizant that life is transitory in nature.