wutopia lab transforms historic factory into theatre
Verdant Ridges by Wutopia Lab’s Wuto-mills is built within the ruins of the historic Xinguang Silk Weaving Factory, transforming an industrial structure into a contemporary theater. Located within Suzhou’s Taohuawu district in China, the project offers a fresh approach to architectural restoration, reinterpreting its material history, rather than treating the factory as a fixed artifact.
The design concept stems from the artistic philosophy of Ming Dynasty painter and poet Tang Bohu, who developed a style combining disciplined brushwork with expressive color. Bohu’s monochrome landscapes and his vivid figure paintings are referenced across Verdant Ridges’ interplay of contrasts. The exterior landscape is layered: a foreground of perforated metal mesh alludes to an abstract mountain range, and solid metal cladding behind it creates depth. Inside, the palette shifts to dramatic yet subdued tones of black, white, and gray that allow the performances to take visual precedence.
all images by Liu Guowei
the restoration reinterprets chinese material history
Instead of following a conventional proscenium layout, the theater employs an I-shaped (工) stage, which allows for more flexible performances. This arrangement encourages movement between historical and contemporary modes of storytelling. Audiences step into a space where the past is not merely represented but continuously reinterpreted.
A central column, originally a structural necessity due to preservation rules, has been adapted as part of the design, clad in dark wood to blend into the setting. Seating configurations are similarly adaptable, allowing the space to shift between formal productions and more intimate events. The mezzanine level, with its angled walls, reinforces the sense of spatial depth, subtly recalling the compositional techniques of classical landscape painting.
Wutopia Lab’s Wuto-mills completes Verdant Ridges
built within the ruins of the historic Xinguang Silk Weaving Factory