Shanghai studio Archi-Union Architects mimics traditional Chinese calligraphy in its latest project, a rural cultural centre in Sichuan province, featuring a sweeping tiled roof that flows into a central courtyard.
Inkstone House OCT Linpan Cultural Center is located in Anren, an ancient town in Dayi County. Archi-Union Architects designed the building to celebrate the heritage and customs of this area of Western Sichuan.
Photo is by Su Shengliang
The centre's form is based on the inkstone used in traditional Chinese calligraphy, which has a water-holding cavity incorporated into a surface used to grind inksticks.
The building's outline also references traditional Chinese architecture, with a stable base supporting a pedestal roof that is interpreted for the 21st century as a more flexible and dynamic form. "The roof leans towards the inner courtyard through an elegant curve to connect the boundary of the sky and the earth, and to rethink the elements of the place and their relationship," said Archi-Union Architects founder Philip F Yuan.

Dayi County's history is intertwined with the unique Linpan landscape model, which refers to a settlement system based on an ecological farming culture that has existed for millennia.
Linpan comprises smallholdings supported by an ancient irrigation system that created a semi-natural wetland ecosystem shared by people and wildlife. The harmony between nature, human habitation and industry continues to define everyday life on t...