UAD nestles stone-clad and terraced museum in remote chinese countryside

nature-infused Qingxi Culture and History Museum by uad

Nestled in rural Zhejiang, China, the Qingxi Culture and History Museum by UAD is positioned as a small, stone-clad, and terraced building that integrates a tourist center and plenty of spaces for display. The site sits far away from the hustle and bustle of city life, with only one country road connecting several villages nearby. Every now and then, museum visitors can catch a glimpse of locals working the fields around the area.

As noticeable from the exterior design, UAD prioritized blending the architectural silhouette into the site’s terraced landform. This is perfectly exemplified by the building’s rooftops planted with crops to harmonize with the terraced fields nearby. Due to a great height discrepancy, the plot features recessed platforms ascending from north to south, with an expansive view northwards. Meanwhile, terraced fields emerge on the east and west, embracing the sight of rolling mountains in the distance.

The interior spaces are created following the external form. Irregular walls and staggered roofs make every room unique and full of variations, like the diverse paths in the countryside. Natural light penetrates windows and skylights and falls onto the walls and the floor, generating varying scenes in the space. 

all images courtesy of UAD 

celebrating vernacular forms

In the construction process, the team at UAD selected local materials and introduced them at full play. Experienced stonemasons were employed to build the Qingxi Culture and History Museum, cladding it in natural stone to celebrate the most characteristic feature of terraced fields. ‘Based on simple techniques and methods, the whole building harmonizes with the surrounding terraced fields and mountains in texture and form. Craftsmen meticulously completed details such as stone window frames and drip edges. Materials selected for interior space reveal the authenticity of textures. The fair-faced concrete ceiling, the white diatom mud wall, and the wood-colored doors and windows embody the primitive aesthetics of the countryside architecture,’ shares UAD.

Indeed, walking through the bridge above the stream and approaching the building nestling under mountains, visitors will continuously encounter surprises along the way. This small cultural destination reflects its local site features in a low-profile gesture and a poetic, vernacular form.

a stone-clad, terraced building nestled in rural china 

locally sourced materials were adopted for the entire project

irregular walls and staggered roofs make every space unique and full of variations

room for display, featuring stone-clad surfaces

the building lit up at evening time 

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project info:

name: Qingxi Culture and History Museum

location: 422 Township Road, Sangzhou Town, Ninghai County, Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province, China

client: Ninghai Cultural Tourism Group Co., Ltd

project area: 1,691 sqm
architecture: The Architectural Design & Research Institute of Zhejiang University Co., Ltd. (UAD)

lead architects: Zhenling Wu, Jiachen Zhang, Ning Li, Yingni Wang, Yu Chen 

structural design: Zhenfen Jin, Jin Shen, Wenhao Ni 

water supply and drainage design: Ji Chen, Fei Chen

electrical design: Guoxing Zhen, Li Ding

HVAC design: Yinan Guo, Xiaodong Ren

smart design: Bing Jiang 

interior design: Jingyuan Li, Yu Fang

landscape design: Weiling Wu, Conghua Xu, Jing Zhu 

construction costs: Qianbo Chu

photography: ZYStudio, Qiang Zhao, Junhao Ding

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edited by: lea zeitoun | designboom