“Abandoning everything is the key to freedom. It takes the ability to see through attachments and let go, not fearing loss. ” ——Fight Club
In April 2023, the Copper Blockhouse designed by Wutopia Lab was officially completed and opened at the EKA Tianwu Creative Park.
Two middle-aged men, bound by shared struggles and empathy.
“Your job does not define you. Your bank balance does not define you. The car you drive does not define you, nor do the contents of your wallet or your clothes. You are simply an ordinary being.” ——Fight Club
In 2021, my friend Qiye invited me to design the central building for the creative park area within his renovated marine machinery factory. However, both of us felt restless. Our wives were facing similar dilemmas. Although we sought to ease our anxieties through work, we couldn’t fully focus.
We dismissed various functional options such as clubs, cafés, and clubhouses. Two anxious middle-aged men found worldly functions unconvincing. Ultimately, we agreed on creating a multifunctional spiritual fortress as the central building. I told Seventh Lord that we needed to prove the meaning of our existence—success in business alone couldn’t achieve this. Museums serve as modern-day churches, capable of soothing restless souls. So, we took museums as our foundation.
Since navigation machinery and ships are large metal products, I decided to use metal entirely for this building, ultimately choosing copper. I hold a superstitious belief in metal shells, thinking they’re strong enough to protect our fearful souls.
△ General layout plan
I wanted to build a copper fortress resembling a ship.
“You must first give up everything, face your fears, and confront the inevitability of death. Only by abandoning all can one gain true freedom.” ——Fight Club
The design form was inspired by the original arched carport on site—yes, this building is an arch. The maritime machinery factory inspired me to build this fortress like a shipyard. The first step was constructing the keel, welded from steel sections varying between 220 to 150 mm in width. Copper plates were then applied on both sides to create a variable cross-section inner and outer facade, forming the all-metal shell.
Before renovation
-Do you see the house in the distance that was later demolished?
△ After renovation
Rebirth in this place
△ Section I-I diagram
△ Section II-II view
Inside the fortress is a gleaming stainless steel room—the ship’s cabin. It houses a coffee area, kitchen, and bathroom, which can also serve as a stage. This cabin is the sole decoration inside the fortress, symbolizing our souls that long to express themselves sharply while hiding their desires.
We transformed the grassland on the north side of the fortress into a large, shallow black pool. Ultimately, the fortress resembles a submarine surfacing—a shining whale. Quiet and calm on the surface, yet with powerful waves beneath.
Though nowhere to go, this building represents our redemption.
“I die every night, but am reborn again. Resurrected.” ——Fight Club
The entire park was designed by a talented architect, giving it a fresh new look. Yet, I kept the newspaper wall on the south side of the carport, the civil air defense shelter, the large tree, and rockery. I aimed to preserve fragments of the venue’s memories, unwilling to forget. While every building in the park is richly designed, I wanted the Copper Fortress to be simple—a silent pause within the suite of the park.
△ First floor plan
△ North elevation view
△ West elevation view
In this quiet pause, within the fortress shadowed by mottled trees, I lie in wait for many possibilities: exhibitions, performances, speeches, banquets, museums, even skateboarding. The coffee shop facing the pool will open its doors, transforming the space into a stage. As the water level gradually lowers, a sparkling runway will emerge. We once imagined this as a dramatic show, but after experiencing 2022, my perspective shifted. Now, I hope for a brilliant fireworks display, a choir singing on the water, expressing the pain and hope of humanity across the years. All that came before is but a prelude.
△ Sketch by Yu Ting
Your life is slowly fading away.
Why is it called the Copper Fortress? The inspiration comes from the air raid shelter preserved at the original site—a sturdy fortress.
Without pain and sacrifice, there is no gain.
Project Information
Project Name: Copper Castle
Design Company: Wutopia Lab
Lead Architect: Yu Ting
Project Architect: Mu Zhilin
Design Team: Miko Jie, Xu Nan, Dai Ruojian
Construction Drawing Design Company: Shanghai Southeast United Engineering Design Co., Ltd
Owner: Shanghai Jiayun Investment Management Development Co., Ltd
Construction Unit: Shanghai Qikufang Cloud Culture Technology Co., Ltd
Lighting Consultant: Zhang Chenlu
Photography: CreatAR Images
Address: Pudong, Shanghai, China
Duration: April 2021 to April 2023
Area: 405 square meters
Materials: Copper, Stainless Steel, Brown Micro Cement, Glass
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