Atelier Alter Architects aimed to bring a critical approach to modern construction technologies in the Stone Gallery project they have implemented for a stone company in Beijing. Trying to establish consistency between structure and details by developing new construction methods, they aimed to make both the subject and the background of the gallery structure by revealing the originality of the stone in a modern way. Aiming to create a space to showcase the diversity of stone crafts and enable architects to include stone in their designs, they transformed a warehouse into a stone gallery in this project. The walls, which are placed at an angle in the structure, form solid nand void spaces. While solids are for exhibition, meeting and archive spaces, the voids become the circulation. The cutting plates are also materialized as different stone shelves for the separation and mediation between spaces. Three layers of stone shelve walls array from exterior to interior to create a narration of stone processing. The stones used in the shelves are recycled materials from different stages of stone processing. The first layer that separates architecture from the street is a perforated stone wall made from thousands of 10 cm3 stone cubes cut directly from left over stones in the quarry. 3 openings punched through the perforated stone walls are the entrance, the clerestory window and the opening to the restaurant. Between the perforated and existing wall, there is a garden that brings light and breeze into the space. The second layer of stone shelves sets apart from the inside of existing wall and creates a residual space that prepares visitors for entering the gallery. The outwards-tilted stone shelve in the second layer is composed by the stacking of mountain skins cut away from dimensional stones. The third layer of stone shelves is zigzag stone screen that separates exhibition space, meeting hall and stone archive within the double story gallery space. The stone screen is made of small flag stone slabs sliding between a structure net welded by steel. The space above and space below are connected and separated simultaneously by the stone screen. Small restaurant, bar and cafe is placed next to the gallery. The catering space is enhanced by a library and an internal courtyard. The furniture and lighting of the space are designed with polished slabs and süper thin complex stone veneers, which represents the finest degree of stone processing. A stone carpet made from parametrically arranged slabs brings the three spaces together.
CREDITS
Architectural Design: Atelier Alter Architects
Client: Beijing Tian Cheng Ying Liang Stone Co., Ltd.
General Contractor: Zongyang Jinfeng Decoration Co., Ltd.
Project Leader: Xiaojun Bu Yingfan Zhang
Project Team: Kai Qin, Zhenwei Li, Dehu Du, Tongwei Liu
Structural, Mechanical and Electrical Projects: Jie Jin, Zhe Li,
