The design for this small museum of Chinese ancient pottery takes its form from the simple, vernacular shape of a house – walls with a gabled roof. This shape can be commonly found in China in both residential and commercial uses, and in ancient and contemporary times. By taking a highly recognizable form, the museum subtly fits into the Chines landscape. The approach to the museum displays this shape. Upon entering, however, this simple shape modifies into a geometrical hexagon. In this way, the museum both fits into common perception …

Ai Weiwei borned in Beijing in 1957, he is a conceptual artist, curator and architect. He studied at the Beijing Film Acasemy and the Parson School of Design. He has been one of the most innovative figures in China’s art world.

domus: Can you tell us about your recent work?
Ai Weiwei: I’ve recently finished several lectures at MIT, Harvard and Cornell University, mainly about my artistic, architectural and design activities. Currently I’m focusing on two or three architectural projects and a few exhibitions including Kassel Documenta, a solo exhibitions including Kassel …

Beijing Residential Image
This housing project, located on the corner of the Forth Road and Fucheng Ring Road in Beijing, is the result of collaboration between 9.3 and Otto Steidle Institute of Architectural Design & Research. Based on influences of traditional courtyard houses in Beijing have formed when using the structure of the existing building, the architects of the systematic design methodology in the context of the local community, an open city in the south-directed path block.a assigns to the north as a focal point of service to the community, the …

Beijing Logo
Starting from day one the design of the project has been influenced by the economic and social development of the region along the axis of the Zhong Guan Cun South Road, which they directly north to the Technology Park of Beijing.
Ripped through the creation of a sculpture from the urban context is the intention of the architect to reflect and stimulate the specific growth dynamics of urban structure at the same time.
Four office towers (26 * 45 m) with connecting bridges, and a group connected by roof gardens form …

Ordos Art Museum is the first building of Ordos’ new civic center on a stretch of sand dunes along the lake that is dedicated as a “public corridor” with art and cultural facilities. This 29,000 sq.ft. of exhibition and research space is distributed within an undulating form with a central span lifting clear off the ground, suggesting a desert viper winding over the dunes.
The space is conceived as one uninterrupted room with a series of openings absorbing natural light while offering cinematic views of the raw surroundings; the art exhibition …

Base on the relationship between city texture and traditional inheritance, referenced to the attitude of fully respecting the city development of European countries, architects decided to create a new type commercial site. After the formation analysis of the existing planning layout, the team introduced multi-axis to the scene, utilizing turning masses to structure a framework consist of three “squares”, which makes the area division logical and meaningful. Hence the dialectical relation of the inside and outside of the common units in the streets was completely inherited and became the start …

UF Soft R&D Center consists of three inter-connected buildings. Two courtyards arise in between the buildings, which crete more touch of nature within the architecture buildings. The project focuses on the whole concept of the office, which embraces working, resting and communication functions. Instead of adoptiong the traditional office design, such as the design of corridors, which require its users to commute before the communication can take place , we design this office so that its structure supports communication an commutation to happen spontaneously. Corresponding to different team working styles …

Client: Ningbo Tongcheng Real Estate ltd .
Location: Ningbo, China
Gross Floor Area: 33,200 m2
Architects: MADA s.p.a.m.
Time:2008

The project is concerned mainly with two important issues relating to site: the first is the relationship between the architecture and surrounding environment, and the second is how to establish a relationship between local architectural tradition and local culture. The building sits on development-ready leveled land that once was part of the hillside on the university campus. The Research Education Building and the Museum form a wedge shaped composite section that juts into the land. The building mass, multiple roofs, and integrated windows blur the vertical and horizontal forms of …