The Field: A ‘residence’ for Buddha in a mundane world
TEAM_BLDG

The Field: A ‘residence’ for Buddha in a mundane world

14 Apr. 2021  •  Nachrichten  •  By Allie Shiell

The Field is an art gallery located within former aluminium factory buildings in Huli District, Xiamen City, China. Commissioned by the Buddha artist Jiang Sheng, TEAM_BLDG Architects renovated the buildings into a studio and exhibition space. The new purpose-specific space exhibits Sheng’s JIANGJIABAN Buddha statues in a way that reflects humanity alongside the divine and religious.

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In collaboration with the client, the architects conceived the architecture as merely a medium to carry the Buddha statues and contain the essence of Buddhism – a ‘residence’ for Buddha in a mundane world.

The character of the original buildings remains visible. These buildings are called Building 1, Building 2, and Building 3, according to the number of stories. The arrangement of the existing buildings together results in a rhythmic stepped form.

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In its original state, Building 1 had many windows on its facade, while the interior is divided into five independent spaces. On the east side of Building 2, there is a large magnolia tree, and the interior of the building is a double-height space. Building 3 on the north side was previously transformed into an office space with square windows added to the façade.

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Based on the concept of the ‘the residence of Buddha,’ the buildings were renovated from the inside out. The windows of Buildings 1 were blocked up with internal walls removed. Building 1 is thus a relatively integrated ‘darkroom’ emphasizing an introverted, enclosed atmosphere.

Retention of the Magnolia on the east side of Building 2 anchors the design. Guided by the magnolia tree, visitors bypass the wall and enter the exhibition hall through the revolving door under the tree’s canopy. After arriving at the low foyer, visitors enter the double-height exhibition, which is illuminated by skylights. Floor-to-ceiling windows on one side of the main hall connect to the courtyard, blurring the boundary between indoors and outdoors. On the south side of the main hall, four doorways lead to a one-storey ‘dark room’ that separates light from dark in an orderly fashion.

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In one corner of the main exhibition hall, a spiral staircase leads vertically upward to the roof terrace, where the Magnolia tree is at hand’s reach

An outdoor staircase was added to a corner of the terrace to connect Building 2 to 3. To improve the sense of space and transparency in the office area, thick elevator shaft walls were removed and a skylight added at the top of the stairwell. A vertical stairwell with changing light and shadow leads down to the showrooms and workshops on the first and second floors of the office building.

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Throughout, interiors are rendered as a neutral background to conceal the details of the architectural components and bring the shape of the Buddha Statues to the fore.

The exterior of the building is painted with the same sandalwood yellow colour as is the interior. The interior texture of the wall was hand-painted by workers, thus making the three buildings, whose facades were originally different, united in appearance.

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31 skylights are positioned on the top of the building and are either round or square to allow light to filter in, resulting in two different types of space: a ‘bright’ main hall and a ‘closed’ dark room where the Buddha statues are situated according to the light or dark environment.

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The 28 circular skylights at the top of the main hall are recessed upwards, appearing as flat spots of light when the sun is oblique and as a dense ‘rain of light’ when the sunlight is direct. The Buddha statues in the main hall are mainly carved from dense materials such as wood and stone, and when the light hits them, the effects of light and shadow on the statues change according to the angle of the sunlight.

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The client explains that with the creation of ‘The Field,’ he aims to provide an innovative space that can present some new experiences and insights into the fields of faith.

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