The Millet Vinegar Museum, designed by the Tianjin University Research Institute of Architectural Design and Urban Planning, has won five International awards. They are the LEAF Award, Architizer A+ Award, Iconic Award, 2A Continental Architectural Award and the Structural Award. Additionally, it is an eligible candidate for World Architecture News (WAN) Awards, the Architecture Master Prize and the German Design Award.
The Millet Vinegar Museum, located in Zibo, Shandong Province, is situated on a factory area of a local enterprise.
The original factory area
Inspired by ancient vinegar jars, it is a cube breaking through the soil, whose surface is full of the old vessels and fault textures.
The Millet Vinegar Museum
A vinegar jar
But when you get closer, hidden cracks can be found on the skin. They are a sign of life, appearing on the soil, leaves and cells, and also used on ancient porcelain.
Cracks on the surface
Then, as you walk in, the jar-shape entrance, also a natural awning, catches your eyes on façade and later a hemisphere hall brings you into a wonderful space. Therein, through the dome, a shaft of sunlight shapes a vinegar jar shadow on the wall. Moreover, the shape of the shadow will change as time goes.
The shadow
Judge's comment from Structural Awards:
“The Millet Vinegar Museum’s beautiful brick dome stands 147 brick courses high and punctured by three large arched openings.
While in some ways this may be seen as a traditional structure, the engineers’ approach to the design was evidently meticulous and bold.
Each layer of bricks was carefully planned and sequenced to avoid formwork. Subtle rotation of the various courses of bricks achieved the decorative texture of the arched openings. The result is a splendid example of a project made both conceptually and aesthetical beautiful by an engineer’s skilled and sympathetic guiding hand.”
Awards received:
2019 LEAF award
2019 Architizer A+ Award
2019 Iconic Award
2018 2A Continental Architectural Award
2019 Structural Award
Introduction of the five awards:
LEAF Award: The ABB LEAF Award is an annual international architectural prize. It recognises innovative architectural design that sets the benchmark for the international architectural community of the next generation. The LEAF Awards program is operated by the Leading European Architects Forum (LEAF), founded in 2001. LEAF brings together leading international architects and designers operating in Europe and beyond to share knowledge, to network and to develop new partnerships.
Architizer A+ Award: The Architizer A+ Award is the largest awards program focused on promoting and celebrating the year’s best architecture and products. Its mission is to nurture the appreciation of meaningful architecture in the world and champion those products that are integral to bringing great buildings to life.
Iconic Award: their internationally respected, impartial design and architecture competition honours holistic projects in the fields of architecture, interior architecture, product design and brand communication.
2A Continental Architectural Award: The 2A Continental Architectural Award is an architecture award, organized by the 2A Magazine to recognize and honor an individual or a group’s contribution to the world of architecture.
Structural Awards: Structural Awards have been awarded for the structural design of buildings and infrastructure since 1968. The awards were reorganized in 2006 to include ten categories and the Supreme Award for structural engineering excellence, the highest award a structural project can win.
By: Gao Gonghe
Editors: Qin Mian and Keith Harrington
