Kengo Kuma Transforms Yixing’s Pottery Heritage with UCCA Clay Museum

The UCCA Clay Museum, designed by Kengo Kuma and Associates, is a new cultural landmark in Yixing, a city renowned for its pottery, especially purple clay pottery. Known as the “pottery city,” Yixing’s deep connection to ceramics makes it an ideal home for the museum, which is part of a redevelopment plan to revitalize the area while preserving its pottery heritage.

Inspired by the nearby Shushan mountain, the museum’s design mimics a mountain range, with its ceramic-clad roof reflecting the legacy of the dragon kiln, a centuries-old local tradition. Openings in the structure connect it to nearby pottery factories and the canal, emphasizing its historical significance.

Inside, the building features an inverted shell roof supported by wooden lattice beams, creating a dynamic and inviting space for visitors. The museum’s facade, developed in collaboration with local craftspeople, uses ceramic panels with uneven surfaces and glazes that shift with the time of day and seasons, capturing the essence of Yixing’s pottery tradition. According to Art Asia Pacific, the architects describe the panels as having the warmth and texture of Chinese tea utensils, embodying over 1,000 years of pottery culture.

UCCA Clay Museum
West Entrance, Creative & Cultural Ceramic Avenue
Dingshu Town, Yixing, Jiangsu Province
China