- Project: The Quartet – Z Museum
- Architect: TEAM_BLDG
- Location: China, Songzhuang Village, Songyang, Zhejiang
- Year: 2025
- Area: 472 m2
- Photography: Jonathan Leijonhufvud
The Quartet – Songzhuang Z Museum by TEAM_BLDG is a striking cultural landmark set within the secluded mountain village of Songzhuang in Zhejiang Province, China. Completed in 2025, this project transforms a mundane 1990s brick residence into a poetic dialogue between tradition and contemporary architecture—becoming China’s first rural art museum dedicated to the theme of weaving.
Once almost forgotten even by locals, Songzhuang has preserved its village charm due to its remoteness. Now, this 472 m² museum anchors a bold revitalization of the area, uniting community memory with bold architectural storytelling.
Preservation Through Contrast
TEAM_BLDG embraced the original structure’s incongruity with the surrounding rammed-earth homes. Instead of downplaying the building’s difference, the architects emphasized it—fragmenting the volume into four interlinked sections and layering them around inner courtyards.
This formal “quartet” evokes rhythm, structure, and fluidity, echoing both weaving and musical composition. The approach maintains the original footprint while infusing it with spatial lightness and layered movement.
A Living Façade Inspired by Weaving
A standout feature of The Quartet – Songzhuang Z Museum by TEAM_BLDG is its custom aluminum façade—made of slats painted red on three sides and white on one. As light shifts throughout the day, so too does the building’s appearance, creating an ever-evolving, soft color gradient from pink to white.
This delicate intervention mimics the warp and weft of woven cloth. The façade’s irregular grid adds texture and life, bringing visual softness to the formerly bulky structure. It’s a compelling reinterpretation of traditional craftsmanship through a modern architectural lens.
Interior Simplicity to Elevate Art
Inside, minimalism governs the design to let the artwork speak. A rammed-earth “prologue hall” welcomes visitors in dim quietness before leading them into a light-filled atrium. This skylit void cuts through all three levels of the museum, visually connecting each exhibition floor.
Natural light filters in through the central shaft and curated window openings, framing views of the village and creating a serene backdrop for contemplation. Interior materials are intentionally subdued—microcement, brushed finishes, and bare concrete—to maintain tactile warmth and visual restraint.
Dialogue Between Inside and Out
Original windows were redesigned to capture the surrounding landscape. On the upper levels, openings cut into the stairwell walls allow the third floor to function as a semi-outdoor observatory. A rooftop terrace provides panoramic views of Songzhuang Village, uniting art, architecture, and nature.
Unified finishes and elevation shifts subtly guide movement, offering a meditative experience without overt spatial division.
Custom Furniture Inspired by Looms
Extending the architectural narrative, TEAM_BLDG designed a series of bespoke furniture pieces for the café and gift shop. Called the “纟” series (meaning “thread”), these pieces reinterpret loom construction using red fabric straps woven around square steel frames. The same weaving language found on the facade is echoed here—symbolically threading interior and exterior into one cohesive whole.
