Architecture Asia Special Issue - ARCASIA Awards for Architecture 2020

JURY CITATION
Located in flat land and surrounded by Gobi Desert and grassland, the estate
stands out with a unique configuration differentiating from typical vineyards
or Castello but somehow achieves harmony with the surrounding environment
and contexts. The circular form produces a strong geometric sense of aesthetic,
while the architect carefully controls its relation to nature using local material,
making the architecture a land art. The estate consists of various functions, including
a winemaking area, oak barrel cellar, canning area, tasting area, visitor
reception, hotel, and restaurant. Interestingly, instead of hiding those manufacturing
functional spaces, the architect decided to display them as part of the
visitor's experience. As it may bring some alien looks, it also leads to a feeling of
industrial and modern. Although it is not a production facility with a profound
history, a chateau as a mass production facility in the twenty-first century appeared
in Ningxia brings more imagination of the possibility of how traditional
industrial buildings could develop.
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