-
Architects: Greyspace Architecture Design Studio
- Area: 2150 m²
- Year: 2023
-
Photographs:Jianbo Ke, Jianshen Li, Sen Yan
Two Buildings in the Pottery Factory: Roof Structure of the Dragon Kiln and ICH Lounge. At the end of 2021, when the architect was invited by the chief planner of the project, the founder of Sanbao International Ceramics Art Village, the Distinguished Professor of Jingdezhen Ceramic University, ceramicist LI Jianshen, to visit the site of Doumu Pottery, the factory has been undergoing a comprehensive upgrade. The design brief we have received consisted of the construction and renovation of two buildings: the ICH Lounge for which the foundation had already been excavated and therefore the location of the building outline and its structures had been determined; and the asbestos tile roofed dragon kiln, in urgent need of renewal to satisfy the requirements of soundness and aesthetics for a roof structure and to accommodate new functions as well.
The history of pottery making at Doumu dates back to the Xuejiagang culture 6,000 years ago and continues to this day. Its artistry of firing ceramics has now been listed as a national intangible cultural heritage. The adaptation of ICH Lounge in the kiln factory and the renovation of the dragon kiln roof structure, have respectively provided the architect with different challenges, in the way of preserving the traditional memory as well as showcasing the technique of the intangible cultural heritage. With the main building outline of the original design unchanged, the architect has adjusted the relationship of building massing for ICH Lounge, to create a richer spatial interface on the ground floor, on a more approachable scale.
The interior of the building has been streamlined to form a complete indoor-outdoor visiting path. The design of the dragon kiln roof structure reconstructed a canopy on the foundation of the existing kiln, to protect it against wind and rain as well as to meet the firing needs below. Meanwhile, a visiting path was to be paved at a higher level that would not interfere with the firing operation, allowing a brand new set of viewpoints to observe the firing of the dragon kiln.
Visiting Path: Looking around on the Back of the Kiln. The existing dragon kiln was first built at the time of the Qing dynasty and has undergone many fires and restorations over the course of its long history. The lightweight and fireproof asbestos tile was adopted for the original roof out of its fire resistance and ease of restoration. The module of spacing between the brick pillars that support the roof was finally determined according to the way the kiln workers added firewood and placed greenware, taking into account the location of the kiln door and chimney. Thus the new design mainly retains the original spacing and structure of the brick pillars to ensure the traditional firing method is not disturbed.
The roof frame of the dragon kiln is in the existing form of herringbone pine timber frame, most commonly found in the area, with each triangle-shaped frame supported by two brick pillars below. The key issue to be addressed in the renovation of the dragon kiln was to incorporate a visiting path while maintaining the basic configuration of the original roof frame. The architect has experimented with different forms of a standard span for the new roof frame, and the final chosen solution has added a visiting path winding upon the kiln, in the premise of retaining the shape of the original roof, while minimizing the height increase of the new frame, adding only 1.8m on the original. When viewed from other key viewpoints of the factory towards the dragon kiln, there is no overly significant difference between the new and original roof frame, in terms of the undulation pattern of its skyline and the height of the roof. In the pottery factory, the kiln remains the most important element in controlling the skyline, but the newly built roof frame, in the controlled height, does not overpower the skyline.
Scene Narrative: Juxtaposition, Observation, Dialogue. The kiln workers working on the back of and inside the kiln, together with the visitors walking on the roof walkway, form two parallel flows in the space on account of the new roof form. There are multiple cross-viewing points between the two, but for safety reasons, no interconnecting platform has been designed between them. Visitors may walk up the stairs in the brick hut next to the small theatre at the kiln tail, through two turns, then look around while walking through the back of the kiln. The position of the visiting path, on either east or west, is decided after comprehensive consideration of external building height and internal sight relationship. Every turn in the flow and the enlargement of the spatial nodes are determined in reference to the locations of the noon gates of the dragon kiln.
A platform overlooking the plaza and Tianzhu Mountain is set up at the large noon gate in the middle, while at the small noon gate near the dragon head provides three successive platforms, achieving a more complete view. An outdoor tea room at the end of the flow at the dragon head offers an alternative view of the factory and Tianzhu Mountain. The currently completed walkway only showcases scenes of visitors passing through, sightseeing, and appreciating the firing, while more activities are to be presented in the future, such as pottery exhibitions, long table banquets,s, and fashion shows.
Memory Recreated: Expression of Material Form. The way clay pots are piled up, the surface texture of the kiln bricks, the vault inside the kiln, and the masonry of the partition walls seen everywhere in the factory all provide a wealth of material and inspiration for the designer, and it is an important task of the project to translate them into an architectural language and to present in a contemporary way. ICH Lounge echoes the function and space of the dragon kiln, where the designer has placed several 'kiln'-themed spaces, such as the ‘Road of Kiln’ on the visiting path, the vaulted space in the hallway of the international exhibition, and the toilet under the dome. Together with the dragon kiln roof structure, these spaces complete the visiting experience of the entire pottery factory.
Afterword. In this project, with the premises of preserving the intangible cultural heritage and the living millennial dragon kiln, the architect has attempted to use a modest architectural form and material language that is well adapted to the site, to provide more scenarios for its integration into the contemporary living environment, carrying more public display functions and accommodating more visitors.
