Qingxi Culture and History Museum

Located in a privileged natural spot in the Nanshangang area of China, the building has a tourist center and exhibition spaces to showcase local culture

To get to the museum, deliberately set apart from the urban bustle, one has to take the twisting road that connects Sangzhou Town to the neighboring villages. Spatially, the museum is organized in tiered platforms that are barely distinguishable from the natural terraces. This particular arrangement makes for great views of the place’s extraordinary scenery of mountains and streams.

The spaces are delimited by walls of natural stone that imitate the sinuous contours of the landscape outside. Natural light invades the interiors through the windows and the skylights on the roof, bouncing off the walls and floors. Central to the project are local techniques and materials. Exposed concrete, diatomaceous earth, and wood create the primitive aesthetic of the museum’s countryside architecture.