Yong'an Village Community Hub in southwestern China creates a meeting space in celebration of cultural diversity.

Yong'an Village sits on the ancient Salt Horse Road connecting South Asia and mainland China, in an area where several ethnic groups (Han/Bai/Yi/Muslim) co-exist.

The structure provides a platform for daily activities and also works as a repository for spiritual dwellings and venue memories of the villagers in future.

Instead of creating an idealised rural utopia, the project achieves a forward-thinking sense of nostalgia through the concept of 'non-local locality', respectfully carrying the past as an experience to learn from.

With due reverence toward local culture as the foundation of the design, the project celebrates the essence of rural villages in its semi-enclosed courtyard and free-flowing roof lines that create a dialogue with the rectangular boundary of the site.

This project has been longlisted in the civic building category of Dezeen Awards 2022.

Architect: Tongji University and Archi-Union Architects

Project: Yong'an Village Community Hub