The UCCA Clay Museum by Kengo Kuma & Associates is more than an art museum—it’s a tribute to Yixing’s ceramic culture. Known as China’s “ceramic capital,” Yixing is famous for its purple clay pottery, a tradition spanning over a millennium. Kengo Kuma & Associates designed the museum to honor this heritage while inviting new generations to connect with the craft.
Honoring History Through Architecture
Located in a former industrial hub, the UCCA Clay Museum sits within what was once the heart of Yixing’s pottery production. Here, workshops, factories, and ateliers once buzzed with activity. The museum preserves elements of these decommissioned factories, creating an authentic link to its historic roots. Kengo Kuma & Associates ensured that the museum feels integral to this industrial landscape while transforming it into a place of cultural significance.
The museum’s form takes inspiration from Shushan Mountain, a cherished local landmark. Known for its serene beauty, Shushan was also celebrated by the poet Su Dongpo of the Northern Song dynasty. The museum’s structure, resembling a mountain of pottery, mimics Shushan’s contours. Its design also nods to the iconic dragon kiln, a kiln used for over 600 years with an ascending form that fosters airflow during firing. Through this shape, the UCCA Clay Museum captures the “fire” and passion of Yixing’s artisans, symbolizing the vibrant culture of ceramic craftsmanship.
Architectural Innovation with a Cultural Soul
The museum’s inverted shell roof is a key feature, supported by four layers of wooden lattice beams. This delicate yet sturdy structure brings a sense of dynamism to the interior. It guides visitors’ sightlines and movement deeper into the space. The beams create patterns and shadows that change throughout the day, bringing a vibrant, organic feel to the museum.
Kengo Kuma & Associates collaborated with local artisans to design the museum’s facade. Its surface, glazed in warm, earthy tones, echoes the texture of Yixing pottery. Varying from sunlit yellows to rich reds, the facade draws from the natural colors of Yixing’s purple clay. This slightly coarse, tactile surface recalls the texture of Chinese tea ware, traditionally crafted with Yixing clay. As the light shifts throughout the day and seasons, the facade displays subtle color changes, adding to the museum’s dynamic quality.
A Journey Through Yixing’s Ceramic Legacy
Inside the UCCA Clay Museum, visitors can explore the legacy of ceramic artistry through interactive exhibits, workshops, and ateliers. These spaces invite them to witness the pottery process up close, from shaping raw clay to firing it in kilns. This hands-on experience allows guests to learn techniques passed down through generations.
To connect the museum with Yixing’s industrial heritage, Kengo Kuma & Associates created intentional openings in the building. These openings frame views of old pottery factories and the nearby canal, creating visual links between the museum and the surrounding area. Through these views, the museum integrates the past with the present, grounding it within Yixing’s urban fabric.
The roof structure itself is remarkable. Designed as an inverted shell carved by virtual spheres, it combines traditional inspiration with modern engineering. The beams create a canopy that feels organic, enhancing the museum’s role as a sanctuary for ceramic art and preserving harmony between architecture and nature.
The Temperature of Pottery in Architecture
One of the UCCA Clay Museum’s unique features is its “warmth”—almost as if the walls retain the “temperature” of freshly fired pottery. This quality comes from the use of ceramic panels with uneven, hand-glazed surfaces. These panels respond to changing light and shift in tone with the seasons, creating a living facade that interacts with its environment.
Craftsmanship Meets Contemporary Design
This museum doesn’t just honor Yixing’s ceramic history—it’s part of it. Collaborating with local artisans, Kengo Kuma & Associates created a structure that feels like an extension of the craft itself. Rather than imposing a modern aesthetic, the architects embraced Yixing’s textures and materials. The result is a building that doesn’t just house art but embodies it. The museum stands as a celebration of tradition, culture, and the human touch in an age of mass production.
An Immersive Experience of Clay and Culture
Visiting the UCCA Clay Museum feels like stepping back in time while remaining fully in the present. Kengo Kuma & Associates created an environment that immerses guests in the tactile, sensory experience of pottery. Inside, warm tones, ceramic textures, and soft light filtering through the wooden beams connect visitors to Yixing’s rich ceramic legacy. Each detail evokes the hands and history that shaped this vibrant craft.
This museum highlights the importance of cultural sensitivity in architecture. Kengo Kuma & Associates didn’t impose a foreign aesthetic but worked to design a structure that feels authentically Yixing. The result is a museum that could only exist in the ceramic capital of China, honoring the past while engaging the future.
Conclusion
The UCCA Clay Museum by Kengo Kuma & Associates is a testament to the storytelling power of architecture. With its mountain-inspired form, intricate wooden lattice roof, and warm ceramic facade, this museum celebrates the essence of Yixing. It invites visitors to see, touch, and feel a thousand years of history in every detail, from the coarse texture of the facade to the gentle curves of the roof.
In an increasingly digital world, the UCCA Clay Museum stands as a reminder of the enduring beauty of tradition. Kengo Kuma & Associates have crafted a masterpiece that not only houses art but embodies it, making the UCCA Clay Museum a landmark of both architectural and cultural importance. This museum doesn’t just showcase ceramics—it preserves, celebrates, and breathes new life into Yixing’s legacy, keeping the ceramic capital of China vibrant for generations to come.
