Thousands of cubic rocks cover this trippy archive for stone

When Chinese studio Atelier Alter was commissioned to build the an archive for stone in Beijing, it drew inspiration directly from the process of cutting stone. Renovating a former wine storage facility, the designers imagined a space defined by void and texture, creating a visually rich showcase for the potential of architectural stone itself.

The exterior features a perforated stone screen made of thousands of four-inch cubes of rock, twisted at different angles to the street. Large steel voids mark the entrance to the building, a lushly planted courtyard, and a window into the cafe.

A front door made of wildly angled steel strips gives onto a gallery of rough-hewn stone samples, contrasted with a glossy white floor. Dramatically angled forward into the double-height space, the wall of rough rocks on steel shelves appears on the brink of toppling over.

This entrance gallery leads into the main exhibition space—a paneled room with a zig-zagging stairway screened by floating strips of stone. The walls are lined with various stone samples. The stairway leads up to a library of smaller samples displayed on shelves. Stone lovers, rejoice!

The ground floor restaurant and cafe have a visually extraordinary floor made of inlaid stone, and polished stone furniture to match.

Via: World Architecture