atelier FCJZ completes vast visitor center informed by sichuan's 'low-key' architecture

in a remote part of southwestern china, 200 kilometers (124 miles) from the nearest city, atelier FCJZ has completed a visitor center for a historic liquor brand. the building is located in the town of tuopai zhen, in china’s sichuan province, which has been home to shede spirits for many years. situated in front of the company’s distillery, the visitor center is surrounded by nature — bordering a park on one side and a river on the other.

all images by arch-exist photography

atelier FCJZ began the project by considering the type of visitors likely to make their way to this remote area of china. after asserting that the pristine natural landscape was a big draw, the design team sought to preserve the tranquility and beauty of the existing scenery. ‘our design intends to preserve these qualities that attract the people trying to get away from the hustle and bustle of the metropolis,’ say the architects.

conceived as a transitional space between the distillery and the landscape, the visitor center is organized as a series of small pavilions with central courtyards. meanwhile, the building’s deep eaves and wood-paneled walls are informed by the region’s ‘low-key’ vernacular architecture. serving as a prelude for tourists taking a tour of shede’s distilling facilities, the visitor center contains a museum that explores ‘liquor culture’, a hotel, a dining theater, and a research and development center.

project info:

client: sichuan tuopai shede wine co., ltd.
location: tuopai zhen, sichuan, china
architect: atelier FCJZ
principal architects: yung ho chang, lijia lu
project team: liang xiaoning, huang shuyi, zhang bowen, liu chao; interior design: simon lee, zeng xiangyan, zhang min, li shuai
collaboration: china southwest architectural design and research institute corp.,ltd.
building area: 22,592 sqm (243,178 sqf)
building storeys: 3 floors above ground, 1 floor underground
structure and material: concrete framework
design period: 2017
completed: 2019
photography: arch-exist photography