Yu Qingcheng Gallery in Tianjin, China by Zhanghua Architects.

Looking somewhat like a crumpled brown paper bags, the Yu Qingcheng University Gallery in Tianjin is the adventurous work of Chinese architects Zhanghua Architects. The forms of the sequential buildings are inspired by and named after the renowned sculpture artist Yu Qingcheng. Acclaimed for his work in clay, Qingcheng’s unique style has made him an international name.

The buildings form part of a sequence – each one transitioning into the other, each slightly different from the next. The chain of clay-clad buildings organically change their form, transitioning from the straight-walled structures at the start, to the more fluid or curved shapes at the end. The transition in form is most evident when comparing the first building to the shape of that of the last. As the buildings morph in shape and form, there is an engagement of the senses as one flows from one space into the next, noticing the changes in the physical space.

“From first to last, the building is full of movement and has two or more different forms at the different ends. The form is not a result but a process, a continuous flowing and changing physical space, a process from static to dynamic, a temporal-spatial evolution process. A body growing process, a non-focus building, a geometrical composition from linear to nonlinear changes with both topology and fractal characteristics,” explain the architects.

Externally, the buildings are clad in terracotta tiles that range from large to small. Ever changing in size, the tiles appear to crack as they outgrow their shape, until they evolve into a perfectly smooth, clay skin seen on the final building.

The interior has had an equal amount of thought applied to it. Hard edges and clean lines slowly give way to more sinuous forms. Eventually, curved walls replace straight ones, accentuated by the application of clean white plaster. Concrete polished floors are illuminated by skylights and full-height windows. The natural light penetrates the internal structure from many different angles, makes it the perfect space to exhibit works of art or simply to enjoy being there to start with.

[Images courtesy of Zhanghua Architects.]