Ningbo History Museum – Amateur Architect Studio

The walls of the Ningbo History Museum feature a wide range of recycled bricks and tiles – some of which date back over a thousand years. The museum was constructed using a traditional technique called wapan, in which multiple elements of different sizes are packed together to create a stable structure.

“Originally in this area there were about thirty beautiful villages and they demolished every village. “Everywhere you go, you find ruins of buildings that have been demolished.”

“But everywhere there are materials, beautiful materials,” he continued. “So I wanted to build this museum for the people who were originally living here so they can keep some memories.”

Wang Shu and Lu Wenyu of Amateur Architect Studio

Undercurrent Architects

Archway Studios is a live-workspace built in and around a 19thC rail viaduct. The project works with the constraints of an inner-city, industrial site next to a train line, and the challenges of a fortified design that engages its surroundings. You can see more of their amazing projects here and more on the fabrication of this sculptural build.

The Silo – Cobe Architects

We wanted to retain the spirit of The Silo as much as possible – both in terms of its monolithic exterior and majestic concrete interior, by simply draping it with a new overcoat. The aim was to transform it from the inside out in such a way that its new inhabitants and the surrounding urban life would highlight the struc­ture’s identity and heritage. Hence, the use of galvanized steel for the facade, which patinates in a raw way and retains the original harbour character and material feel, lending a roughness and raw beauty to the area, as in its industrial past. Dan Stubbergaard, architect and founder, Cobe. You can see more projects here