Museum of Handcraft Paper

Gaoligong Mountain, China

Museums + Galleries

Architects: TAO

Year: 2010

The museum is situated in a beautiful landscape next to xinzhuang village under Gaoligong Mountain of Yunnan, a world ecological preserve area in southwest of China. The village has a long tradition on handcraft paper making. To exhibit the history and culture of paper making, this museum will include gallery, bookstore, work space and guest rooms. The museum is conceived as a micro-village, a cluster of several small buildings. The spatial concept is to create a visiting experience alternating between interior of galleries and landscape outside when visitor walks through the museum, so as to provoke an awareness of the inseparable relationship between paper making and environment.

The design is aimed at making a climate responsive and environment friendly building. Local materials such as wood, bamboo, handcraft paper and volcano stone are used for exterior finish, roof, interior finish and floor respectively. With time passed, these materials will worn and fade into a more harmonious color with the landscape. The construction is to maximize the usage of local materials, technique and craftsmanship. The building combines traditional timber structural system featuring nail-less tenon (SunMao) connection and modern detailing. It was built completely by local builders.