TALKING URBAN DESIGN

THE CERAMIC ART AVENUE IN CHINA BY DAVID CHIPPERFIELD ARCHITECTS BERLIN PAYS HOMAGE TO THE ANCIENT PORCELAIN CAPITAL.

The Ceramic Art Avenue in China by David Chipperfield Architects Berlin is a beautiful example of a masterplan that bears sensitive approach to a rich context and is an ode to the unique industrial heritage of the location of the project. Situated close to the city centre, the urban heritage of Jingdezhen includes an extensive area with large factory buildings from the local porcelain production in the middle of the 20th century. In the first phase, the existing buildings in the western part of the site were refurbished and developed to become a lively public place within the urban fabric. In the second phase, the eastern site was transformed into a campus for performing arts, with colleges, performance venues, and other infrastructure.

TRANSITIONING FROM PUBLIC TO PRIVATE

A pedestrian promenade leading through the centre of the former production site and a boulevard to its west open up the area in the north-south direction. Along the boulevard, new public buildings are placed such as the Grand Theatre, with two venues to the north and a hotel complex and library to the south, establishing the campus as a new city landmark.