Jinyun Quarries

The cuts left by stone extraction determine where people can sit and move through Jinyun Quarries. In Zhejiang, China, DnA_Design and Architecture adapted three disused quarries for public use in 2022, retaining their uneven ledges and openings to the sky. Quarry 8 uses the terraces left by excavation as reading platforms. Stone stairs climb between them, with desks and bookshelves fitted along the edges. Steel handrails and pressed bamboo panels form a much smaller enclosure within the tall rock walls, bringing places to read into spaces originally shaped by the removal of stone.

Quarry 9 opens from a narrow entrance into a theatre whose walls taper towards a slit of daylight. Vertical cuts at the lower level record machine excavation, while the sloping surfaces above were worked by hand. Acoustic testing informed the flooring and sound-absorbing measures; weathering steel panels line the side railings. The space accommodates Wuju opera as well as other performances and gatherings. Rain enters through the opening overhead and collects in a shallow depression, reflecting the rock walls and the lighting along the floor.

At Quarry 10, a ramp reaches a viewing terrace above the quarry floor. Curved spectator steps descend towards the area where local stonemasons demonstrate their tools and cutting techniques. The terrace is finished in local stone, with tool storage tucked beneath it. Here, the quarrying process remains visible through the workers’ demonstrations as well as in the marks on the surrounding walls. Across the three sites, stabilisation and safety work preceded the new public uses; concrete was reserved for necessary reinforcement.

The accompanying photographs also document the 2022 exhibition at Aedes in Berlin. Enlarged quarry photographs lined a curved passage, while illuminated scale replicas showed how the new installations fitted within the excavated spaces. A larger replica of the stairs and terraces in Quarry 8 allowed visitors to examine the connections at closer range.