Kengo Kuma & Associates

UCCA Clay Museum

UCCA Clay Museum

Kengo Kuma & Associates

UCCA Clay Museum
© Fangfang Tian
UCCA Clay Museum
© Eiichi Kano

CONSTRUCTION
Jiangsu Hanjian Group

FACILITY CONSULTANTS
Jiangsu Hanjian Group

ILLUMINATION CONSULTANT
Yushe Yuzhu

DESIGN TEAM
Yutaka Terasaki, Mengxian Bao, Qirui Liu, Yiwen Shen*, Pan Luo*, Xiaoshan Huang, Yoo Shiho (Graphic)

COOPERATION
Crownhomes

AREA
3437 M²

YEAR
2024

LOCATION
China

CATEGORY
Museums & Exhibit

UCCA Clay Museum
© Fangfang Tian

Text description provided by architect.

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. 

UCCA Clay Museum
© Fangfang Tian
UCCA Clay Museum
© Eiichi Kano

This project aligns with the master plan to redevelop the area and envisions a cultural center for ceramics, incorporating ateliers and workshops while preserving the remnants of decommissioned factories.

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.

UCCA Clay Museum
© Fangfang Tian
UCCA Clay Museum
© Fangfang Tian

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.

The roof, an inverted shell structure carved by virtual spheres, is supported by four layers of wooden lattice beams.

UCCA Clay Museum
© Eiichi Kano
UCCA Clay Museum
© Fangfang Tian

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.

UCCA Clay Museum
© Eiichi Kano
UCCA Clay Museum
© Fangfang Tian

Its uneven surface is glazed with varying color 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.

UCCA Clay Museum
© Eiichi Kano


UCCA Clay Museum
© Fangfang Tian
UCCA Clay Museum
© Eiichi Kano
UCCA Clay Museum
© Fangfang Tian
UCCA Clay Museum
© Eiichi Kano
UCCA Clay Museum
© Fangfang Tian
UCCA Clay Museum
© Eiichi Kano
UCCA Clay Museum
© Eiichi Kano
UCCA Clay Museum
© Eiichi Kano


UCCA Clay Museum
Section AA
UCCA Clay Museum
Section BB
UCCA Clay Museum
Section CC
UCCA Clay Museum
Plan - Site


UCCA Clay Museum
East Elevation
UCCA Clay Museum
West Elevation
UCCA Clay Museum
South Elevation
UCCA Clay Museum
North Elevation


UCCA Clay Museum
Detail 01
UCCA Clay Museum
Detail 02
UCCA Clay Museum
Detailed Section


UCCA Clay Museum
Plan - Ground Floor
UCCA Clay Museum
Plan - 1st Floor
UCCA Clay Museum
Exploded Axo

Kengo Kuma & Associates
T +81 3 3401 7721 F +81 3 3401 7778
Kengo Kuma & Associates
2 Chome-24-8 Minamiaoyama, Minato City, Tokyo 107-0062, Japan