Ancient Porcelain Factory in China Transformed Into Modern Exhibition Space

A Chinese architectural project is transforming its historic porcelain factory in Jingdezhen into an exhibit.

Made by the People's Architecture Office, experts used the Plugin Architecture method, which only adds modern and modular structures to old ones and does not entirely revise the whole building.

According to designboom, PAO explained that Jingdezhen came with a valuable history of over 1,000 years of porcelain production and this approach will preserve the now-considered national heritage, but at the same time, protect it through modernization.

Ancient Chinese Porcelain Factory Gets a Modern Makeover

Now, at the centerpiece, is the three-story glass building that is not only modern but also comes with a traditional double-pitched roof. This was placed right in the middle of the historic area.

As a modern exhibition space, it will include a cafe and an open area that contrasts the old solid ancient buildings in the country. The roof is also made of clay tiles and looked as if it floats above the glass building. This helped visually connect the public square with the building's interior seamlessly.

From afar, the Chinese porcelain factory stands out with the clay rooftop. As guests get near, a brick is visible, which is paved from the courtyard and continues inside the building, which also creates steps that serve as seating areas. On the other side, there are brick rooms that form the base of the entire facade and a balcony on the third floor connected to a nearby historic chimney.

ArchDaily earlier reported that the original wood and brick structures accentuated the modern features and were used in sleeping quarters, meeting rooms, and offices. There are also kitchen and bathroom facilities that are accessible via walkways. To create a unified space, one building was rotated to merge two courtyards, meaning that guests can access the public square through the glass building and into the courtyard.