Shui Cultural Center: A Modern Homage to Ancient Rituals

West-line Studio's Architectural Masterpiece in Guizhou Province

The Shui Cultural Center is inspired by the sacrificial rites of the Shui minority, where bronze drums and altars are symbols of power. The architecture also evokes Shui's unique pictograms. From the outside, with its water square, it stands as an open memorial place. Inside, visitors are immersed in an introverted ritual atmosphere.

Located in Sandu County, the land of the Shui, the Cultural Center is a gateway to the region. It includes three main stripes, combining all the functions of the tourist-cultural center. With its iconic and distinct shape, it stands as an homage to the local culture and traditional architecture. The Shui culture is evoked using particular materials and shapes, recreating a ritual space that leads visitors into Shui’s ancestral world.

The building is realized using fair-faced concrete, copper steel plates, and colorful transparent glass. The concrete is strongly marked by a wooden pattern, given by the pine quarterdecks. The copper steel plates undergo twelve industrial processes to recreate the peculiar texture of the bronze used in Shui minority’s ancient rituals. Shui Characters, mainly used during ceremonies and sacrifices, are printed on colored glasses, filtering the light and evoking a ritual atmosphere.

The design team faced the challenge of turning typical and ritual elements of Shui minority’s culture, together with the whole scenario they used to create during Bronze Age traditional rites, into a contemporary public space. The result is a building that guides visitors step by step into Shui’s ritual world. Starting from the open water memorial square, behind which the building shines with its bronze perforated skin which remembers sacrificial altars. To the interiors strongly characterized by the sharp pitched roof, which aims to recreate an intimate dramatic atmosphere.

West-line Studio's Shui Cultural Center is not just an architectural masterpiece, but also a winner of the prestigious Silver A' Architecture, Building and Structure Design Award in 2018. The award is a testament to the design's top-of-the-line creativity, professional remarkability, outstanding expertise, and innovation. It is a design that introduces positive feelings, amazement, and wonder.