curved concrete roofs root atelier alter architects’ museum into chinese mountain foothills

atelier alter architects completes sunner museum in china

Atelier Alter Architects weaves architecture into nature with the Sunner Museum, a striking landmark located in the verdant foothills of Fujian’s Wuyi Mountains in China. Designed for the Chinese food brand Sunner Group, the museum marks four decades of agricultural innovation, functioning as a knowledge hub and public space. Set within the eco-industrial base of the company in Guangze County, the building mirrors the terrain with three interlocking, curved roof forms that rise from the ground like a continuation of the mountains.

The project draws inspiration from the retaining walls and folded steel plates commonly found on industrial sites, reinterpreting them in concrete folded-plate facades. These vary in function, some grounded and massive, others opening into transparent curtain-walled entrances. Diagonal grooves serve multiple purposes. They add rhythm, enable drainage, and hide ventilation systems.

all images courtesy of Atelier Alter Architects

the sloped roof helps the building maintain its temperature

Through the Sunner Museum, the Chinese team of Atelier Alter Architects reimagines how industrial buildings coexist with their surroundings. Suspended courtyards float beneath the roofscape, while a public path lets visitors ascend to the top, where panoramic views of the factory, forest, and Futun River unfold. At the museum’s heart, four silo-shaped shear walls support a column-free exhibition hall, with a 25-meter-high vertical atrium flooded with soft northern light, ideal for large-scale agricultural exhibits and immersive experiences.

Adapting to Fujian’s hot, humid climate, the sloped roof supports fast water runoff and is covered in thick soil for thermal insulation. Technical equipment is hidden in a service layer beneath, reinforcing the illusion of a natural hill. During the day, the museum showcases modern agriculture; at night, its green roof becomes a public park—free and open to all. 

the Sunner Museum is a striking landmark located in the verdant foothills of Fujian’s Wuyi Mountains in China

the building mirrors the terrain with three interlocking, curved roof forms

the building rises from the ground like a continuation of the mountains

the project draws inspiration from the retaining walls and folded steel plates