Jinyun Quarries

Xu Tiantian, DNA Design and Architecture, Jinyun, China, 2022

The design of the Jinyun Quarries uses minimal intervention to transform an industrial production site into a destination. By simply making these spaces able to be used by everyone, they become a place of connection to the land, nature, and history of labor in the county. The quarried crevasses act as natural weather barriers, shielding the sun and rain, and cooling the air, making them good places to find respite in the hot and humid summers. Each of the three designed quarries has its own program. Quarry no. 8 is a place for reading and studying, Quarry no. 9 has a stage for performances of Wuju Opera, and Quarry no. 10 showcases live demonstrations of the labor intensive hand quarrying process. The Jinyun Quarries harness the opportunity presented by these scars in the earth to regenerate a previously industrial site. 

Tiantian, Xu, “Building Non-Buildings” in After Comfort: A User’s Guide, e-Flux Architecture, October 2023. https://www.e-flux.com/architecture/after-comfort/581977/building-non buildings/. w