The Museum is located in a beautiful landscape next to Xinzhuang Village and under Gaoligong mountain, an important world ecological preserve. The village has a long tradition of handcraft paper making, and the museum’s program is to show how the culture and art of paper making has evolved throughout history. The new building thus includes exhibition areas, workspaces, accommodations and a bookstore.

Conceived as a micro-village, the museum is configured as a cluster of eight small buildings that leave narrow passageways between them. The spatial concept proposes a visiting experience alternating between the interior of the galleries and the landscape outside, highlighting the inseparable relationship between paper making and environment. The design follows sustainability criteria, using local materials such as wood, bamboo, handcraft paper and volcano stone for the exterior finish, which will blend harmoniously with the environment as they age. Moreover, the local workers used vernacular artisanal techniques, such as the SunMao traditional construction system, which does not require nails to reinforce the structural unions. [+]