Japanese architecture practice Kengo Kuma and Associates has opened the new UCCA Clay Museum to showcase ceramic culture in the Chinese town of Yixing. Known as the “ceramic capital” and famous for its production of purple clay pottery in the past, Yixing’s culturally rich ceramic heritage blends with contemporary art at the UCCA Clay Museum.

The project is part of a larger-scale intervention in the area, which seeks to recover the environment by redeveloping and preserving the remains of dismantled factories at the same time. The volume, inspired by the Shushan Mountain, opens up different openings that seek to connect with the ceramic factory, seamlessly integrating the building with the surrounding environment and factory complex.

In a way that is respectful of the surroundings and as an interaction between art, architecture and the environment, the museum designed by Kengo Kuma and Associates carefully integrates different elements of its immediate surroundings into the project, guiding visitors on an immersive experience that brings them closer to contemporary ceramic art in the “ceramic capital”.

The project harmoniously blends traditional technique with modern aesthetics, featuring a wooden structure that contrasts with the imposing façade of ceramic panels with an irregular surface. Glazed with different gradations of color, the façade generates different expressions with subtle changes in texture and color variations through the use of light and angle of perception.

UCCA Clay museum by Kengo Kuma and Associate. Photograph by Tian Fangfang.

UCCA Clay museum by Kengo Kuma and Associate. Photograph by Tian Fangfang.

Project description by Kengo Kuma and Associates

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.

Museo de arcilla UCCA por Kengo Kuma and Associate. Fotografía por Tian Fangfang.
UCCA Clay museum by Kengo Kuma and Associate. Photograph by Tian Fangfang.

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. 

El volumen que se asemeja a una montaña de cerámica está inspirado en la montaña Shushan, ubicada cerca del lugar del proyecto y apreciada por el escritor de la dinastía Song del Norte, Su Dongpo, así como en el horno de dragón, un horno trepador que ha estado en uso continuo durante 600 años. El volumen en forma de montaña fue perforado para conectarse con la fábrica de cerámica y el canal, integrando a la perfección el edificio con el eje del emplazamiento y el complejo de fábricas circundante. La cubiert
UCCA Clay Museum by Kengo Kuma and Associate. Photograph by Tian Fangfang.

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 colour 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.

More information

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Architects
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Kengo Kuma and Associates (KKAA). Architect.- Kengo Kuma.

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Area
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2,400 sqm.

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Completed.- 2024.

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Location
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Yixing. Jiangsu, China.

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Kengo Kuma was born in Yokohama (Kanagawa, Japan) in 1954. He studied architecture at the University of Tokyo, finishing his degree in 1979. In 1987, he opened the "Spatial Design Studio". In 1990 he founded "Kengo Kuma & Associates" and extended the study to Europe (Paris, France) in 2008. Since 1985 and until 2009, has taught as a visiting professor and holder at the universities of Columbia, Keio, Illinois and Tokyo.

Notable projects include Japan National Stadium (2019), V&A Dundee (2019), Odunpazari Modern Art Museum (2019), and The Suntory Museum of Art (2007).

Kengo Kuma proposes architecture that opens up new relationships between nature, technology, and human beings. His major publications include Zen Shigoto(The complete works, Daiwa S hobo)Ten Sen Men (“point, line, plane”, IwanamiShoten), Makeru Kenchiku (Architecture of Defeat, Iwanami Shoten), Shizen na Kenchiku(Natural Architecture, Iwanami Shinsho), Chii sana Kenchiku (Small Architecture, IwanamiShinsho) and many others.

Main Awards:

· 2011 The Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's Art Encouragement Prize for "Yusuhara Wooden Bridge Museum."
· 2010 Mainichi Art Award for “Nezu Museum.”
· 2009 "Decoration Officier de L'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres" (France).
· 2008 Energy Performance + Architecture Award (France). Bois Magazine International Wood Architecture Award (France).
· 2002 Spirit of Nature Wood Architecture Award (Finland).
· 2001 Togo Murano Award for “Nakagawa-machi Bato Hiroshige Museum.”
· 1997 Architectural Institute of Japan Award for “Noh Stage in the Forest”. First Place, AIA DuPONT Benedictus Award for “Water/Glass” (USA).

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Published on: October 30, 2024
Cite: "Celebrating the ceramic tradition. UCCA Clay museum by Kengo Kuma and Associate" METALOCUS. Accessed
<https://www.metalocus.es/en/news/celebrating-ceramic-tradition-ucca-clay-museum-kengo-kuma-and-associate> ISSN 1139-6415
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