“I am willing to try everything you are unwilling to do.” – Yu Ting
In October 2024, the Ceramic Book Bureau, designed by Wuto mills from Wutopia Lab, was officially completed and opened within the Yixing Ceramic Factory Cultural Block.
△ Aerial view of the park © CreatAR Images
△ Purple Clay Entrance Hall © CreatAR Images
The Yixing Ceramic Second Factory Cultural Block has been rebuilt on the original site of the Zisha Second Factory. Transformed from a traditional industrial factory into a cultural and creative hub, it has now become a global tourist destination dedicated to promoting contemporary ceramic culture.
The owners envisioned two landmarks within this block: the UCCA Ceramic Art Museum, designed by Kengo Kuma, and a ceramics-focused bookstore introduced by the Duoyun Academy, named the Ceramic Bookstore.
△ Purple Clay Front Hall © CreatAR Images
During discussions with the owner, the phrase from an old purple clay artist—”making pots is like being a person”—inspired the design team deeply. This became the central theme of the project.
To express this, the design was structured around the three stages of teapot making: first, refining and preparing the clay; second, kiln firing; and third, shaping the container. These stages correspond to three separate zones—soil, caves, and fairyland—symbolizing the three phases a person undergoes in life: trials, tribulations, and ultimate sublimation.
△ Element Diagram © Wutopia Lab
△ Section Diagram © Wutopia Lab
Chapter 1: Refining Clay and Preparing Billets
The first floor focuses on the initial phase—refining and preparing clay—which not only marks the beginning of pottery but also symbolizes the foundational steps of personal growth.
The space is carefully divided into three zones: refining, molding, and shaping, clearly illustrating the transformation of raw materials into pottery prototypes. The earthy yellow hues dominate the space, gradually shifting in tone like a painting unfolding—moving from chaos to order, blurriness to clarity, softness to hardness.
The seamless integration of bookshelves and architectural forms quietly echoes the journey of an individual evolving from confusion to maturity and strength.
△ Taoshu Bureau Zone 1 © CreatAR Images
△ Taoshu Bureau Zone 2 © CreatAR Images
To connect these three spaces, a “spout” was designed to run through all three floors, breaking through the ceiling to let in natural light. Each narrow beam resembles shards of sky light, representing the sacred connection between heaven and earth within the pot.
The sun and moon in the pot © CreatAR Images
△ Taoshu Bureau Third District © CreatAR Images
△ First Floor Plan © Wutopia Lab
Chapter 2: Kiln Firing
The second floor embodies the intense energy of “kiln firing,” with coffee and cultural creativity as its core functions. The dominant red flame hues immerse visitors, with seats and shelves appearing ignited by the fire.
The flame colors transition upward from red to blue, symbolizing the purity that emerges from the kiln’s heat. The cave-like design invites visitors to feel as though they are inside a roasting kiln, where high temperatures forge breakthroughs and self-improvement under pressure.
△ Coffee Area © CreatAR Images
△ Cultural and Creative Zone © CreatAR Images
△ Second Floor Outdoor Terrace © CreatAR Images
Step outside and climb the red steel ladder to reach the 5-meter-long Purple Terrace, which overlooks the UCCA Ceramic Art Museum. This vivid purple-red outdoor platform continues the fiery theme, designed to resemble a giant sun radiating energy like a dazzling stage.
The terrace serves as a lively gathering spot, encouraging social interaction and connection.
△ Purple Platform © CreatAR Images
△ Second Floor Plan © Wutopia Lab
Chapter 3: Completion
Entering the third floor feels like stepping into a serene and clear “water realm,” symbolizing the moment of “boiling” and the completion of the pot.
This space represents maturity and success after enduring life’s storms. The floor features water ripple paint, creating a sparkling surface that resembles water inside a pot. The ceiling shelves and gallery form ripple patterns that spread outward.
The luminous ceiling appears connected to the sky, symbolizing water flowing from above into this space, transforming it into a pot filled with pure water.
This exhibition hall not only showcases exquisite pottery but also embodies the spiritual essence of the bookstore and the full sublimation of life.
△ Gallery © CreatAR Images
△ Gallery © CreatAR Images
△ VIP Lounge © CreatAR Images
△ Third Floor Plan © Wutopia Lab
△ General Layout Plan © Wutopia Lab
Reflecting on the entire design, the purple tone at the entrance represents the finished teapot. The bookstore’s adobe-like condition comes next, followed by the fiery second floor and the water-themed third floor.
To connect the first and third floors, a spout-shaped opening was created, symbolizing the flow between stages. As architects, the team sought to break free from indoor confinement by drawing the eye toward the distant UCCA Ceramic Art Museum.
To achieve this, they persuaded the owner to install a red stairway that visually echoes the museum and embodies the radiance of the sun. The building’s ceramic-clad exterior is complemented by an outdoor platform with flame motifs, completing the Tao Shu Bureau’s concept of “making pottery like being a person” both inside and out.
△ Meticulously Crafted © CreatAR Images
“All difficult training and thinking must ultimately demonstrate incredible ease.” – Yu Ting
Project Information
- Project Name: Taoshu Bureau
- Design Company: Wuto mills by Wutopia Lab
- Lead Architect: Yu Ting
- Project Architect: Mu Zhilin
- Design Team: Fang Xiaobin, Dai Ruojian
- Lighting Design: Zhang Chenlu, Cai Mingjie, Wei Shiyu
- Construction Drawing Unit: Jiangsu Wan’an Architectural Survey and Design Co., Ltd
- Construction Unit: Guangdong Yuda Construction Group Co., Ltd
- Owner: Yixing Taodu Asset Management Co., Ltd
- Photography: CreatAR Images
- Address: Dingshu Town, Yixing City, Jiangsu Province, China
- Timeline: March 2024 to October 2024
- Area: 2,087 square meters
- Materials: GRG, colored micro cement, glass, colored stainless steel, perforated aluminum plate, wood
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