Ay Kiln Renewal: Reframing Craft Heritage Through Walls, Courtyards, and Spatial Narratives

Located in Ningde, China, the Heritage “Ay” Kiln Adaptive Renewal by YFS and WUGE Studio is a sensitive transformation of a century-old ceramic production site into a layered cultural and spatial experience. Rooted in the tradition of “Ay” (硋) ceramics, an indigenous black-glazed craft positioned between pottery and porcelain, the project engages deeply with both material heritage and the evolving identity of rural production landscapes. 

The original site is organized around a traditional dragon kiln built along a hillside, an elongated, sloping structure that has historically anchored local ceramic production. Surrounding it are elements accumulated over time: rammed-earth houses, stone outbuildings, and later brick-and-concrete additions. This assemblage reflects decades of organic growth, where spaces were extended, repaired, and adapted without a unified plan. While this incremental process embodies local craftsmanship, it also resulted in spatial fragmentation, blurring the boundaries between living, working, and displaying.

Rather than imposing a singular architectural order, the project responds by clarifying and reframing this complexity. A key intervention is the introduction of a two-story boundary wall along the edge of the site. Acting as both a physical and conceptual device, this wall organizes the previously dispersed elements, establishing a clear perimeter while allowing the existing structures to be perceived as distinct historical layers.

This strategy is grounded in the dialectical idea of “transparency and obstacle.” Instead of removing barriers to create openness, the design uses walls as tools for clarity. The boundary wall becomes an “obstacle” that paradoxically enhances understanding: filtering views, framing perspectives, and guiding movement. Carefully positioned openings allow glimpses into the site, transforming the act of seeing into a curated experience.

Within this newly defined boundary, the site is reorganized into three primary courtyards, each corresponding to different functions and atmospheres. The front courtyard serves as a reception and exhibition space, welcoming visitors into the narrative of the site. The central courtyard remains dedicated to production, where daily ceramic-making activities unfold. The rear courtyard connects to the natural terrain, rising with the hillside and offering elevated platforms and viewpoints that reveal the broader landscape.

This spatial sequencing aligns with the traditional process of ceramic production: moving from raw material preparation to forming, glazing, firing, and finally display and sale. By structuring the site according to this workflow, the project transforms production into an experiential journey. Visitors do not simply observe the craft; they move through it, encountering each stage in a way that preserves both authenticity and functionality.

Material strategy plays a crucial role in expressing temporal continuity. Existing rammed-earth walls, stone structures, and the kiln itself are preserved and reinforced, maintaining their tactile and historical presence. Where intervention is necessary, new materials are introduced with restraint and clarity. Timber frameworks, glass elements, and concrete platforms are carefully integrated, allowing the distinction between old and new to remain legible.

The newly constructed rear platforms employ a beamless concrete slab system with a subtle wood-grain texture, mediating between the solidity of rock and the softness of earth. This material dialogue bridges natural terrain and built form, reinforcing the project’s connection to its environment.

One of the most striking elements is the eight-meter-high grey-brick boundary wall. Beyond its structural role, it acts as a symbolic and spatial device. The wall is composed of modular brick units arranged in gradients: from dense to porous: creating a dynamic interplay of light, air, and visibility. This porosity echoes the airflow of the kiln itself, while also producing a visual tension between mass and lightness.

Structurally supported by a steel frame and rebar lattice, the wall becomes both a screen and a frame. Its openings align with key elements of the site, translating the three-dimensional process of ceramic production into a series of framed compositions. In this way, the wall functions simultaneously as boundary, mediator, and narrative device.

Ultimately, the Ay Kiln Renewal is not simply a preservation project but a reinterpretation of heritage. It acknowledges the layered history of the site while introducing a new architectural order that enhances clarity, experience, and cultural value. By transforming production into exhibition and obstacles into instruments of perception, the project creates a space where craft, architecture, and landscape converge, offering a renewed framework for understanding and sustaining intangible cultural heritage.

All the Photographs are works of Qingshan Wu