Chetian Tourist Center by West-line studio

Chetian Tourist Center
Photo © Jingsong Xie

The Tourist Center is located just outside Chetian Village (车田村), on the main road arriving from Guiyang, the capital of Guizhou province.

Photo © Jingsong Xie

The stone village, famous for its houses built with local blue-stones, has more than 400 years of history and its population is mainly composed by Miao (苗), one of the oldest ethnic minority groups in China.

Photo © Jingsong Xie

The Village runs parallel to a river and the local traditional architectural style is characterized by single units (stone houses with open air courtyards) repeated in a parallel way.

Photo © Jingsong Xie

Each unit is linked to the others and all these parallel bands form separated groups. The Architects integrated this characteristic parallel feature in the design of the tourist center.

Photo © Jingsong Xie

Three parallel units (bands) are arranged following a L shape, which creates interesting outdoor spaces, in China categorized as “Yuan” (院), courtyard.

Photo © Jingsong Xie

This first band is characterized by white walls embracing the courtyards, white walls which create a ritualistic impression in contrast with the stone ones.

Photo © Jingsong Xie

Categorized as “Xiang” (巷), lane, the space created by the second band is located on the widest area on site, on its north end. The building at the very end of the long quite secluded corridor hosts the restrooms facilities and has been built according to Chetian Village’s traditional stone masonry techniques.

Photo © Jingsong Xie

The third band is the largest volume on site and it is categorized as “Tang” (堂), hall. Here are located the visitor center’s public functional areas: reception and info point, an exhibition hall and a tea room. Upstairs is the private office area.

Photo © Jingsong Xie

The interior units follow the parallel flow and have been partitioned according to their functions. Architects deliberately designed the turn near the south end of the first band and the second band in order to combine the three bands into one structural group.

Photo © Jingsong Xie

Group which still preserves the singular L shape units in aim of retaining the relative independence among the parallel bands, while gaining the benefits of uniformity and integrity. Source by West-line studio.

Photo © Jingsong Xie
  • Location: Chetian Village, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
  • Archiects: West-line studio
  • Design: Haobo Wei, Jingsong Xie
  • Materials: Bricks – Local Blue-stone – Concrete – Fair-faced Concrete Slabs
  • Total Area: 6620sqm
  • Building Area: 935sqm
  • Parking Lots: 16
  • Floor: 2
  • Completion: March 2015
  • Photographs: Jingsong Xie, Courtesy of West-line studio
Photo © Jingsong Xie
Photo © Jingsong Xie
Photo © Jingsong Xie
Photo © Jingsong Xie
Photo © Jingsong Xie
Photo © Jingsong Xie
Photo © Jingsong Xie
Photo © Jingsong Xie
Photo © Jingsong Xie
Site Plan
Ground Floor Plan
Roof Plan
Section
Axonometry

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