Based in Paris and Shanghai, the young And Studio duo of Duccio Cardelli and Ning Wang have designed the Thangka Museum in Lhasa, Tibet. A showcase that pays tribute to the art of the thangka, inseparable from Vajrayana Buddhist art, while bringing modernity to the heart of tradition.
Surrounded by the high mountains of the Transhimalaya, Lhasa is nestled in a setting that could not be more majestic. It is here that And Studio has erected this museum dedicated to thangka art, painted representations of Buddhist deities: "A jewel that seems chiselled from the rock of the surrounding mountains".
The two architects explain: "For this project, we wanted to reconcile modernity and tradition. We embarked on a veritable journey of initiation to learn about and understand the art of thangka, local architecture, particularly in terms of its volumetric composition.
Thus, to echo the Potala Palace, former residence of the Dalai Lamas, the project was conceived not as a single unit or uniform mass, but as an archipelago of volumes. Connoisseurs will recognize elements typical of Tibetan architecture, such as the sloping walls. As for decoration, gold leaf, bronze, wood and all the colors typical of the Buddhist religion, such as "Tibetan blue" as well as yellow and red, are the order of the day.
The project's local roots were also a strong desire, notably through the use of local resources and vernacular building practices. Pressed adobe, a local ancestral technique, was used in the exhibition spaces and lobby. In addition, Tibetan artists were commissioned by Duccio Cardelli and Ning Wang to design specific elements of the project. As for the structure of the building, it was made of concrete to avoid the excavation of quarries, now forbidden, so as not to disfigure the landscape.
Light also plays a key role in this building, seeping in here and there through the walls and roofs of the rooms, through clerestories and cracks. The traditional silk lanterns found in monasteries were also a source of inspiration for the decor of the exhibition space.
For the museum's itinerary, the architects wanted to evoke the image of a spiritual journey, through an interplay of volumetry enabling visitors to reach different levels, with varied viewpoints, reminiscent of the stages of Tibetan mountain pilgrimages. The ascent culminates in the upper terrace, with the exhibition of a majestic thangka, almost 15 m long, which is attached to the tower twice a year during the Sho Dun Festival.
