Shanghai-based architecture practice IILab. has completed a museum that intersects the old building in Beigou village, Beijing, China. 

Called WAAAM (originally named the Glazed-Tile Art. Architecture Museum), the 660-square-metre museum features an orange-colored tile façade that marks the building from afar on the corner site of the village. 

Its distinctive and shimmering exterior skin almost hide the old building behind it and acts as an introverted and mysterious volume. 

Designed as part of rural transformation plans in the village, the project was developed as a testament to the broad and meaningful impact that rural revitalization has brought to the community.

The museum is designed to commemorate the pioneering attitude of Beigou, a daring community that challenged itself with reinventing the concept of the rural village through environmental development, art installations and architectural interventions.

The concept of the WAAAM is based on the history of the site, the villagers' daily lives and the integration of traditional crafts. The building negotiates the duality of the new dynamic sense of place in the village with the different eras, ideologies and cultural generations that had claimed this village as their own before.

The museum takes a critical approach to local materials by positioning them in a new light, expressing their features in a more artistic and contemporary sensibility. Similarly, the exhibition spaces of the WAAAM mark the radical collision of cultural eras.

The space is designed to act as a platform for communication between the permanence of Beigou and the ever-changing avant-garde consciousness of their people. The building records the context of the past, the ambitions of the present while embracing the uncharted territory of the future.

The building is structured around three thematic interior spaces, titled: "Beigou Memory", "Beigou Now", and "Beigou Future".

"Beigou Now", located near the entrance, welcomes visitors into the museum and includes functional areas such as a cafe, a community activity room, and outdoor rest areas.

"Beigou Memory" is located at the base of the original historic building and encompasses the main exhibition spaces. 

It includes the history of Beigou exhibition, a display showcasing the historical records of the original building, and an exhibition on Beigou's architectural culture. 

This building also houses the multifunctional hall on the second floor, which can be used as academic lecture hall, temporary exhibition hall, or meeting hall.

"Beigou Future" tower hosts an exhibition space within its main staircase, a building service space on the first floor, and a terrace overlooking the Great Wall on the top floor.

Beigou Village is now a model to rural China through its pioneering approach to rural development. Combining environmental, cultural and architectural development as drivers for urban revitalization and social transformation.

Site plan

First floor plan

Second floor plan

Third floor plan

Section

Section

Section

East elevation

South elevation

First glance

Drink

Sit and enjoy

Village art exhibition

Model view 

IILab. preciously designed an undulating pavilion with hand-woven bamboo canopies in Guilin, China. 

Project facts

Project Name: WAAAM

Architects: IILab.

Project Location: Beigou Village, Huairou, Beijing, China

Total Construction Area: 660 Square Meters

Site Area: 540 Square Meters

Footprint Area: 363 Square Meters

Landscape Area: 177 Square Meters

Project Timeline: September 3, 2020 - September 30, 2021

Project Status: Built

Project Client: 2049 Investment Group

Project Partners: Hanxiao Liu, Luis Ricardo

Project Leads: Henry D'Ath, Yihui Zhao

Project Team: Lingkong Yin, Fei Chen, Lexian Hu, Yujun Yan, Lingling Liu, Camilo Espitia

Structural Design: Lalu Partners Structure Consulting

General Contractor: Huazhuang Brothers Decoration Engineering Company

Timber Construction: Qingdao Shunxing Timber Structure Engineering Co., Ltd.

Glazed-tile Facade Material Supply: Beijing Tongshi Architectural Materials Co., Ltd.

Red Facade Construction: Jotun Coatings (ZJG) Co., Ltd. – Shanghai

All images © Arch-Exist Photography

All drawings © IILab.

> via IILab.