Dachen National Reference Climatological Station

Dachen National Reference Climatological Station is located at the top of Mount Wuhu on Dachen Island in Dachen Town, Jiaojiang District of Taizhou. As its isolation requires most of the modern building materials to be transported from the outside, most of the local buildings on Dachen Island are made of local granite stones, which are solid and durable and can therefore withstand the complex and changing climate of the island. Originating from this idea, the design of this case made use of local stones as building materials for the façade.

The building material defines the architectural form, and the constant and consistent practice eventually defines the regional architectural culture. Most of the local stones are in light yellow, with some brown ones occasionally found. This leads to a layered but unified color palette on the façade. In this case, the architects reshaped and combined the local bulky stones with terrazzo and plain-colored lacquer to build a selection of windows in various textures and of different sizes. This creativity introduced outdoor scenery into the interior through openings, animating the monotonous working environment of the station.