The Dutuan Public Service Center
Tobacco curing house is a kind of typical production building in this area, with several parallel rectangular baking spaces, the roofs connected for sundries, and a ceiling to keep out the rain. The new building borrows the spatial logic of the original building and performs it artistically. The new building is a village public service center, which not only meets the villagers’ public gatherings, but also provides a rest place for visitors.
The building is divided into two floors. The first floor is composed of two blocks of different sizes, namely exhibition hall, community center, Dining room and kitchen. The spaces between the blocks provide outdoor activity space for users. The second floor is a large space, which is a multi-functional hall. A large, asymmetrical roof envelops the building, providing a comfortable space under the eaves in response to the local rainy, humid and hot climate. An outdoor staircase connects the first and second floors, which goes through the roof, creating a dramatic effect.
Bright glazed tiles are used on the roof, which is a kind of artistic transplantation of the using of a large number of glazed tiles in new residential buildings in rural China since 1990s. The pattern and color on the roof are extracted from the lotus pond and bamboo forest around the site, artistically treated. The designer hopes to explore the possibility of using this material in modern rural buildings. The steel columns supporting the roof are also treated artistically, slanting and in bright colors.
Project information
Location: Dutuan Village, Xiyuan Township, Jianning County, Fujian Province, China
Owner: People’s Government of Xiyuan Township
Principal architect: He Wei
Team members: Chen Long, Li Qiang, Song Ke, Cao Shiqing, Zhao Xinze, Wu Lijun(intern)
Structure consultant: Pan Congjian
Architectural and interior design: 3andwich Design/He Wei Studio (www.3andwichdesign.com)
Building area: 350 sqm
Design time: 2017-2019
Completion time: July, 2020
Photography: Fang Liming, He Wei