Third Mountain

2024 Author: David Durham | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-09 00:52

The founder of the Shanghai Wutopia Lab bureau, architect Ting Yu, says that the idea for the project came to him when he first appeared on the site and saw Mount Lofushan, one of the sacred mountains of Taoism, suddenly appeared out of the fog. This episode reminded him of many similar ones described in traditional poetry and landscape painting, as well as the most important motive of Chinese landscape art - "one sea and three mountains."

Выставочный центр традиционной китайской медицины «Алюминиевая гора» Фото © CreatAR Images

He already had two mountains: Lofushan, on the spurs of which an exhibition center was planned, and Taipingshan, which is located in the south. The role of the sea was to be fulfilled by the fish pond already available on the site - now completely redesigned and expanded. Only the third mountain remained - which became the new complex.

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1/7 Aluminum Mountain Exhibition Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine Photo © CreatAR Images
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2/7 Aluminum Mountain Exhibition Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine Photo © CreatAR Images
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3/7 Aluminum Mountain Exhibition Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine Photo © CreatAR Images
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4/7 Aluminum Mountain Exhibition Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine Photo © CreatAR Images
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5/7 Aluminum Mountain Conventional Chinese Medicine Exhibition Center Photo © CreatAR Images
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6/7 Aluminum Mountain Exhibition Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine Photo © CreatAR Images
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7/7 Aluminum Mountain Exhibition Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine Photo © CreatAR Images

It was important for him to convey in architecture this elusive atmospheric-landscape impression, when a huge mass of the mountain seems to dissolve in the air and resembles a heavenly palace, the home of the supreme deity of Taoism - the Jade Emperor.

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1/16 Aluminum Mountain Conventional Chinese Medicine Exhibition Center Photo © CreatAR Images
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2/16 Aluminum Mountain Exhibition Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine Photo © CreatAR Images
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3/16 Aluminum Mountain Exhibition Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine Photo © CreatAR Images
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4/16 Aluminum Mountain Conventional Chinese Medicine Exhibition Center Photo © CreatAR Images
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5/16 Aluminum Mountain Exhibition Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine Photo © CreatAR Images
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6/16 Aluminum Mountain Conventional Chinese Medicine Exhibition Center Photo © CreatAR Images
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7/16 Aluminum Mountain Exhibition Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine Photo © CreatAR Images
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8/16 Aluminum Mountain Exhibition Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine Photo © CreatAR Images
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9/16 Aluminum Mountain Exhibition Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine Photo © CreatAR Images
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10/16 Aluminum Mountain Exhibition Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine Photo © CreatAR Images
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11/16 Aluminum Mountain Exhibition Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine Photo © CreatAR Images
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12/16 Aluminum Mountain Conventional Chinese Medicine Exhibition Center Photo © CreatAR Images
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13/16 Aluminum Mountain Exhibition Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine Photo © CreatAR Images
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14/16 Aluminum Mountain Exhibition Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine Photo © CreatAR Images
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15/16 Aluminum Mountain Exhibition Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine Photo © CreatAR Images
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16/16 Aluminum Mountain Exhibition Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine Photo © CreatAR Images
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1/7 Aluminum Mountain Exhibition Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine Photo © CreatAR Images
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2/7 Aluminum Mountain Exhibition Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine Photo © CreatAR Images
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3/7 Aluminum Mountain Exhibition Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine Photo © CreatAR Images
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4/7 Aluminum Mountain Exhibition Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine Photo © CreatAR Images
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5/7 Aluminum Mountain Conventional Chinese Medicine Exhibition Center Photo © CreatAR Images
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6/7 Aluminum Mountain Conventional Chinese Medicine Exhibition Center Photo © CreatAR Images
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7/7 Aluminum Mountain Exhibition Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine Photo © CreatAR Images

To add symbolism, the third mountain designed by Wutopia Lab, in turn, consists of three "slides" - pavilions, each of which is covered with a cone of perforated aluminum panels. The degree of perforation is varied - 45, 60 and 70, in order to achieve "dissolution" and "soaring" from the top to the bottom with an offset of up to 10 meters, where the illumination at dusk should further enhance this impression.

Visitors arrive at the outer edge of the pond, hidden from view by a curved glass fence. After passing through the receptionist pavilion, they board a red boat, contrasting with the cold color of the complex, and sail towards the three mountains / third mountain past the green-planted islets. Upon arrival, they descend an almost 12-meter spiral staircase underground, where the exhibition complex is located with a lobby, video room, conference room, art gallery and offices.

It is designed like a labyrinth to "slow down" the visitor and remind of the way of life lost in modern China, which is nevertheless often dreamed of by the townspeople. At first glance, this concept contradicts the function of the center / showroom, but Ting Yu reminds that the building is intended to demonstrate, albeit with the help of modern technology, traditional knowledge - associated with traditional culture in general.