By Wutopia Lab
Architecture and design practice Wutopia Lab constructs ‘Copper Blockhouse’, a multi-functional spiritual and cultural space in Shanghai, China. The structure is named after an air raid shelter reserved on the project site, a solid fortress. Drawing from nautical machinery and ships’ huge metal bodies, the project is enveloped inside an arch made entirely out of metal, and more specifically copper. The design and volume are informed by the original arched shed on the site. The construction of the building starts with the keel, which is made of welded structural steel from 150mm to 220mm wide, covered by copper plates on both sides to form the internal and external facades.
