Ceramic House
Jinhua, China · 2003-2006
Photo · Photo by Lv Hengzhong
A precedent for a floating pavilion design by Wang Shu, showcasing a heavy concrete frame combined with delicate, perforated ceramic brick screens and warm wood glazing over a reflective water body.
- What we like about this project
- The brick screen uses multi-colored, glazed ceramic units that catch the light with subtle tonal variations.
Materials
- exposed-concrete
- ceramic-brick
- glass
- wood
Visual identifiers
- cantilevered-concrete
- ceramic-brick-screen
- water-reflection
- wood-frame-glazing
- perforated-wall
Style tags
- regionalist
- tectonic
- brutalist-influence
- craft-oriented
Visual tags
- floating-pavilion
- material-contrast
- water-edge
- screen-facade
- chinese-modernism
- Geometry
- A cantilevered, open-ended concrete box frame containing a recessed glazed volume. The side walls are constructed of perforated ceramic brick screens.
- Facade system
- Perforated ceramic brick screen walls flanking a recessed wood-framed storefront glazing system.
- Structural guess
- Reinforced concrete frame with a cantilevered slab over the water.
- Spatial scale
- Single-story pavilion scale, elevated slightly above water level.
- Lighting
- Warm, low-angle afternoon sunlight reflecting off the water and illuminating the interior wood frames and the textured ceramic brick facade.
- Atmosphere
- Serene and grounded, where heavy masonry and concrete elements are visually lightened by their suspension over still water.
- Environmental context
- Sited directly at the edge of a calm, reflective pool or lake with distant low-lying vegetation.
- Spatial experience
- The structure hovers directly over a reflective water body, creating a floating sensation. The deep concrete frame acts as a covered porch or transition zone, filtering light through the perforated brickwork.
- Composition rhythm
- The repetitive vertical rhythm of the wood-framed glass doors contrasts with the grid-like perforations of the brick screens.
- Style reading
- Regionalist modernism with tectonic materiality
- Program
- Cultural pavilion or exhibition space
- Perspective
- Exterior Facade
- Discipline
- architecture
- Materials
- exposed-concrete, ceramic-brick, glass, wood
- Visual identifiers
- cantilevered-concrete, ceramic-brick-screen, water-reflection, wood-frame-glazing, perforated-wall
- Style tags
- regionalist, tectonic, brutalist-influence, craft-oriented
- Visual tags
- floating-pavilion, material-contrast, water-edge, screen-facade, chinese-modernism
- Geometry
- A cantilevered, open-ended concrete box frame containing a recessed glazed volume. The side walls are constructed of perforated ceramic brick screens.
- Facade system
- Perforated ceramic brick screen walls flanking a recessed wood-framed storefront glazing system.
- Structural guess
- Reinforced concrete frame with a cantilevered slab over the water.
- Spatial scale
- Single-story pavilion scale, elevated slightly above water level.
- Lighting
- Warm, low-angle afternoon sunlight reflecting off the water and illuminating the interior wood frames and the textured ceramic brick facade.
- Atmosphere
- Serene and grounded, where heavy masonry and concrete elements are visually lightened by their suspension over still water.
- Environmental context
- Sited directly at the edge of a calm, reflective pool or lake with distant low-lying vegetation.
- Spatial experience
- The structure hovers directly over a reflective water body, creating a floating sensation. The deep concrete frame acts as a covered porch or transition zone, filtering light through the perforated brickwork.
- Composition rhythm
- The repetitive vertical rhythm of the wood-framed glass doors contrasts with the grid-like perforations of the brick screens.
- Style reading
- Regionalist modernism with tectonic materiality
- Program
- Cultural pavilion or exhibition space
- Perspective
- Exterior Facade
- Discipline
- architecture