Excerpt: The Bat Trang Ceramic Community Center by 1+1>2 Architects is a five-story multi-functional complex with a design inspired by ceramic production. The community center, modeled after seven ceramic artisan turntables, features concrete frames folding into steps and serving as display shelves or staircases. It not only showcases architectural genius but also honors the Bat Trang craft village’s cultural legacy.
Project Description
[Text as submitted by architect] After 3 years of construction, Bat Trang Ceramic Community Center opened its doors in 2021. This showcase of artisanal work and pottery-making techniques embodies the village’s rich history. The 150 billion VND project is a significant part of “The Center for Quintessence of the Vietnamese Craft Village,” dedicated to preserving the 500-year-old pottery tradition.
Bat Trang Ceramic Community Center plays an important role in village planning. It is located at the gateway to welcome tourists, facing the Bac Hung Hai Canal and connecting to the Red River. The building form is carefully considered to control construction density and height, create harmonious proportions and views, improve the canal landscape, and recreate the hustling and bustling scene of the canal’s ancient pottery market.
This five-storey multi-functional complex takes inspiration from the artistry of ceramic production, with its architectural form mirroring the seven interlocking turntables, evoking the image of a ceramic artisan molding clay into overlapping curves that tend to expand gradually. This idea produces a visually captivating result where concrete frames are folded into steps, optimizes the functionality of the space, and functions as display shelves or staircases between floors. From another perspective, the project is reminiscent of the image of Bat Trang’s antique gourd furnace.
The open area of the 1st floor is created between these seven upside-down domes for public events. Skylights at the top allow for natural daylighting and cooling of the area, enabling hot air to flow upward.
To emphasize the rustic and idyllic characteristics of the pottery village, the reddish-brown color of rough ceramics is the main theme. The striking form of the building is cladded with fiber-reinforced concrete, which is light enough to be expanded upwards and easy to construct for the local builders. In addition, earthen bricks, mosaic ceramic, and pottery tiles are used throughout the building, making good use of materials characteristic of the Bat Trang craft village.
Bat Trang Ceramic Community Center stands not only as a symbol of architectural ingenuity but also as a living tribute to the enduring legacy of the Bat Trang craft village, preserving its cultural heritage for generations to come.
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