One of those projects that combine perfect simplicity with a large dose of imagination and that we like so much for both things, has caught our attention. It is a design by the Beijing-based architecture studio MAD Architects, with offices in Los Angeles and Rome, and is called The Never Hut. It is a striking structure in the shape of a flying saucer, supported by 3 “tentacles” – we assume the architects mean 3 pillars, hidden by the way – “crafted from local fishing nets”.
According to statements by architect Ma Yansong, founder of MAD Architects – which we read in the presentation of the project on their website – The Never Hut “tries to capture the freedom and wonder of childhood”, while still relying on the community, people of all ages, to provide a space in which to “gather, reflect and imagine what lies ahead”.
Maybe that’s why the particular design of The Never Hut balances “cultural narratives with playful imagination”. And it is easy to see the playful imagination part, though perhaps not so much the cultural narratives. In any case, if that’s what its architects, immersed in the millenary Chinese culture, say, we won’t argue with it. In any case, it is quite true what they say below, that the hut configures “a space that inspires reflection and shared connections”. One only has to look at some of the images they illustrate it with to be convinced of that.
But they still have a lot to say, as they claim that “the project transforms a site that was once a beloved playground for a local elementary school”. In doing so, MAD Architects pays homage to the collective memories of the community’s childhood, in other words, the elders, while its approach to the youngest reaches out “breathing new life and purpose” into the site.
Tasting the presentation of the Never Hut, perhaps we come to understand the question of “cultural narratives”, as it is further stated that the design work “draws inspiration from the iconic architecture of the Qing Dynasty era of Yanqiao Village” By the way, we haven’t said it yet: Never Hut is located in Yanqiao Village, Nanhai District, Foshan Prefecture City, southern China. They also state in the same sentence that they have found inspiration in the “meandering river systems and the majestic banyan tree at its entrance”, but then doubts creep in again.
What is certain is that under its wide eaves, The Never Hut offers a circular, shaded space for rest, interaction and connection. Its bright, cheerful tones contrast with “the historic backdrop, forging a vibrant dialogue between past and present”. Amen. (We’ll leave it up to you to decipher why they’ve christened the project that way).
Sources: MAD Architects.
Photographs: Tian Fangfang and Zhu Yumeng, vía MAD Architects.
