The Furthest Meteorological Center
—Motuo Meteorological Center in Tibet
The Motuo Meteorological Center (MMC) is located at the lowest point of Motuo County, a remote town in Tibet. Next to the Ysrlung Tsangpo River, under the Namcha Barwa, the buildings itself is surrounded by dense vegetation and rolling hills.
The project faces many difficulties and challenges. The first one is the building’s remote location. Motuo is China’s last County to be reached by road, since it is in the hard-to-reach southern mountain range of Tibet. Secondly, although Motuo is on the Tibetan plateau, its elevation only goes up to 1,200 m, and the lowest point drop down as low as 115m. As a result, Motuo has a tropical rainforest climate, unlike the rest of Tibet, Buildings here must accommodate to the challenge of abundant rain fall throughout the year. Last but not least, the design team also has to take into consideration of construction challenges, such as low construction skill, few heavy machinery, and limited building materials.
Consisting of the administrative office and staff dormitory, MMC is conceived as enclosed courtyard. The undulating roof responds to the climate, and reflects the surrounding mountains. Elevated ground level is inherited from the vernacular architecture. Windows are carefully placed, creating a rhythmic façade. The design of MMC and materiality pay tribute to local ethnic culture, blending traditional Moinba and Lhoba architecture with modern architectural elements, creating a contemporary building sensitive to local culture and tectonic tradition.
Through the early field survey, the designers tried to understand the local traditional building materials and characteristics. Local traditional buildings are heavily affected by the climate. Most of them have an elevated ground floor, using masonry as structural support. The upper level using wood as main structural elements. Sloped roof has its surface covered by wood in order to adapt to the rainy weather. For decoration, heavy window frames are used to indicate the enthusiastic spirit of the Tibetan ethnic. Some public buildings are coated with clay and the finish surface has a hand pressing pattern to speed up the wall drainage. Our design is under the influence of the "new regionalism". “Return to nature, promote sustainable development" is the goal. The team managed to respond to the local topography, climate and natural conditions, reusing local materials and construction techniques, along with modern building materials, such as carbonized wood, clay hollow brick, stone. The building has improved the environmental performance, at the same time, maintaining the characteristics of the local ethnic culture. In the end, the building absorbing the local architectural achievements, making them its own identity, with great economical and environmental benefits.
Credits
Motuo
China
Motuo Meteorological Bureau
07/2017
1853.55 mq
EID Architecture
Ping Jiang (AIA, Design Principal), Shengyun Lu, Tina Fang, Li Jiang
Architect of Record/M&E Consultant/Structural Engineer: Tibet Helin Architectural Design Ltd.
Curriculum
EID Architecture
EID Architecture is a leading international practice for architecture, urban planning and interior design. With studios in both Hong Kong and Shanghai, EID strives to provide intelligent and creative design solutions for local and international clients. EID is deeply committed to design excellence, innovation and sustainability, with vast experience in a wide range of building types, including large scale mixed-use developments, office/corporate, retail, hospitality, cultural/civic, institutional and residential uses.
Our portfolio contains many high profile award winning projects, ranging from iconic landmarks to urban planning. Our works represent the world’s leading design conception, culture attitude and commercial strategies, many of which have been widely published by global architecture & design media. The practice consists of multinational design professionals, reflecting a rich mix of cultural connections of this global age.