The Tianfu Habitat Pavilion, designed by China Southwest Architectural Design and Research Institute (CSWADI), stands as one of the main exhibition venues of the International Horticultural Exhibition 2024 Chengdu. Located on a gently sloping site, the design draws from the city’s cultural heritage and geography, using circular rooftops to shape its architecture and frame the visitor experience.

Rather than dominating the landscape, the low-lying pavilion integrates with the terrain, organizing the program through interlocking courtyards that emphasize Chengdu’s traditions of gathering and shared ritual.

images © Arch-Exist

Circles as Cultural Framework

The circle is central to the Tianfu Habitat Pavilion’s concept, reflecting Chengdu’s cultural identity as well as its natural setting in the Sichuan Basin. Circular geometries — seen in communal dining, tea rituals, and traditional residential layouts — are reinterpreted as architectural devices that structure movement and define zones of activity.

The design is organized into three overlapping rings, each symbolizing a distinct aspect of the city: courtyard, lotus pond, and bamboo hills. These forms create immersive environments that reference both domestic scale and landscape typology, translating familiar cultural symbols into a contemporary setting.

the Tianfu Habitat Pavilion integrates with the hillside in Chengdu

the courtyard

The courtyard is a symbolic element which establishes Chengdu’s Tianfu Habitat Pavilion as an archetype of Western Sichuan residential life. Here, the arrangement accommodates a sequence of experiences — viewing, listening, tasting, and ascending — that layer together cultural traditions with architectural clarity. A fan-shaped exhibition hall, supported by a steel framework, allows flexible configurations for future use. Its ceiling references Sichuan bamboo weaving, expressed through folded aluminum panels that connect interior and exterior spaces with a continuous texture.

Adjacent to the hall, a dual-sided stage provides a platform for Sichuan opera and storytelling. Its open orientation extends performances into the courtyard, allowing audiences to gather indoors or in the open air. Along the perimeter, a bamboo-framed tea room modeled on Chengdu’s historic Heming Teahouse offers visitors the opportunity to sit, drink, and observe performances, reinforcing the social and contemplative role of the courtyard. A gently inclined path rises along the circular edge, inviting visitors to ascend to a rooftop promenade with panoramic views across the site.

circular geometries organize the pavilion into interconnected courtyards

lotus pond

Water is introduced as a second defining element through the lotus pond, which mirrors the agricultural and cultural significance of Chengdu’s rural landscapes. A slender walkway crosses the water, creating vantage points for observing the pond under shifting light conditions.

Floating platforms, designed as stylized lotus leaves, serve as dining spaces where visitors can gather for hotpot meals, extending the theme of communal life into the aquatic setting. The pond operates both as a symbolic reference and as a functional environment, emphasizing Chengdu’s tradition of linking food, water, and social ritual.

a dual-sided stage extends Sichuan Opera into the open air

Bamboo Hills

Beyond the pond, the pavilion extends into the hillside, where bamboo groves and small inns create a retreat-like environment intended for long-term use after the exhibition concludes. The integration of bamboo as both cultural emblem and ecological material reinforces the local character of the site. Guest rooms open toward dense green slopes, framing uninterrupted views of the forested terrain.

Below, a stream threads its way downhill, feeding a series of outdoor pools and indoor hot springs designed to host year-round bathing rituals. These elements give the pavilion a lasting function, allowing it to evolve into a destination for cultural and ecological tourism in Chengdu.

Through its interlocking geometry, the Tianfu Habitat Pavilion translates the abstract motif of the circle into built form. Each programmatic zone — courtyard, lotus pond, bamboo hills — symbolizes a particular tradition of Chengdu

the exhibition hall ceiling recalls traditional bamboo weaving

a rooftop path provides panoramic views across the site

floating platforms resemble lotus leaves in the pond

the tea house references Chengdu’s historic Heming teahouse

project info:

name: Tianfu Habitat Exhibition Hall

architect: CSWADI

location: Chengdu, China

photography: © Arch-Exist | @archexist

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The Hushan Sports Park Swimming Center in Jiangshan, China, designed by LYCS Architecture, introduces the city’s first professional-grade facility capable of hosting national Class B swimming competitions. With a floor area of 14,244 sqm, the project integrates a competition pool and a training pool, serving both professional events and daily public use. Located at the foot of Hushan (Tiger Mountain) and facing Jiangshan Port, the center forms part of a broader sports infrastructure that includes a 4,000-seat gymnasium and a 3,000-seat stadium. Together, these elements establish a ‘one stadium, two arenas’ system that positions Jiangshan as the first county-level city in Quzhou to achieve this benchmark in public sports development.

The design takes inspiration from the city’s cultural and geographic context, using the theme of ‘river and mountain’ to inform its architectural language. The form responds to the surrounding terrain with fluid, undulating surfaces, while its spatial program combines competition facilities with civic functions. The preserved base includes a lobby, auditorium, and rooftop garden, reinforcing the building’s role as a public anchor. The center houses two 50-meter pools: an eight-lane competition pool and a six-lane training pool, each with a depth of two meters. Circulation is organized through a dual-ground-level system, separating athletes and spectators during daily use and further dividing audiences, athletes, media, and VIPs during competitions. This approach optimizes operational efficiency and user experience.

all images by Shan-Jian images unless stated otherwise

Parametric Facade Defines Hushan Sports Park Swimming Center

The building’s massing avoids symmetrical composition, instead employing transitions between horizontal, sloped, and vertical surfaces. A continuous roof structure links the two primary halls, creating a semi-open interstitial space that functions as a public threshold. The main spectator entrance is marked by an inward-folding roof form and elevated platform, emphasizing the arrival sequence and expanding opportunities for public gathering. Externally, the facade is composed of 2,943 uniquely fabricated metal panels arranged in a ‘scaly’ system. Each folded plate interacts with light and shadow to produce a dynamic surface, referencing flowing water and mountainous terrain. Parametric modeling guided the design and fabrication process, enabling digital-to-construction workflows from geometry coding to modular on-site assembly.

Inside, the exposed roof trusses span up to 48 meters, expressing structural logic and scale. Walls and ceilings use modular finishes, colored metal panels, and perforated surfaces to create a functional yet identifiable environment. Retractable partitions allow spatial flexibility, supporting both competition requirements and community activities. The design team at LYCS Architecture considers the project as both a sports facility and a civic space. By integrating competition infrastructure, educational amenities, and public functions, the swimming center establishes a framework for multifunctional development in mid-sized cities. Its architectural expression aligns closely with the surrounding landscape while addressing contemporary demands for adaptability, efficiency, and cultural resonance.

Hushan Sports Park Swimming Center introduces Jiangshan’s first national-standard swimming facility

the architectural form takes inspiration from the themes of river and mountain

fluid and undulating surfaces respond to the surrounding terrain

folded plates catch light and shadow, recalling water and terrain

the building massing avoids symmetry, favoring dynamic transitions

the inward-folding roof highlights the main spectator entrance

the center houses both a competition pool and a training pool | image by Zhang Jianjun

the competition pool measures 50 meters with eight lanes

dual-ground-level circulation separates athletes and spectators | image by LYCS Architecture

the swimming pool area features a modular ‘pixelated’ wall surface

a continuous roof structure links the two main halls

the scale-like roof illuminates at night atop the curtain wall

project info:

name: Hushan Sports Park Swimming Center
architect: LYCS Architecture | @lycsarchitecture
location: Jiangshan, China

photographer: Shan-Jian images, Zhang Jianjun, LYCS Architecture

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

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Moguang Studio has completed a ‘floating’ concrete structure that anchors a new guesthouse complex in Longwanggou Village, Hubei Province, China. Serving as a multifunctional amenities building with café, dining, and gathering spaces, the suspended project inserts a striking horizontal volume into a terraced valley near the Danjiangkou Reservoir. Inspired by the accidental horizon created by a temporary blue construction fence on site, the architects translated this fleeting gesture into a permanent architectural intervention — one that stitches together the surrounding hills while redefining the relationship between landscape and built form.

the suspended structure | all images courtesy of Moguang Studio

a horizon reimagined by moguang studio

The design by Moguang Studio began with the terrain’s transformation into artificial terraces during preliminary site works, a move that altered the valley’s natural topography. When encountered by the architects, the bright construction barricade cutting across the slope suggested an accidental but powerful horizon. Rather than conceal this incision, the studio amplified it with a precise concrete volume that extends laterally across the site, echoing the fence’s graphic clarity while introducing a functional landscape corridor. The textured concrete, cast using standard decking boards, preserves the imprint of wood grain, softening the geometry with tactile detail.

the reflecting pool echoes the horizontal abstraction of the architecture

voids and light

Spatially, the building is organized around three light courts carved into the concrete mass. Openings and voids frame elements of the natural environment, resetting orientation as users move through the structure. At the core is a 7.5-meter cubic court that vertically links sky and ground while horizontally connecting dining, kitchen, and meeting areas. This interplay of solidity and void establishes a rhythmic, layered experience where interior and exterior blur.

To achieve long spans with minimal supports, the roof and floor are constructed as ribbed concrete slabs forming a structural shell. Full-height windows reduce visual mass and maximize transparency, while cross-ventilation is enabled through operable openings. A thin reflecting pool atop the roof lightens the building’s presence, mirroring distant mountains and the reservoir. Cast in a single pour with subtle cambering to prevent cracking, the shell stands as a precise geometric insertion in the valley — both grounded in material tactility and floating in abstraction.

behind the main facade lies a spatial system of vertical light courts and orderly openings

sculpting structural tension through reflection and shadow

ground level shear walls are abstracted into geometric installations

main entrance

the view outside the meeting room

looking toward the light court from the dining area

the architecture anchored in the geohydrological system of Danjiangkou

the reflective roof water mirrors the rugged mountain texture and echoes the distant reservoir

project info:

name: Wudang Mountain Visitor Center
designer: Moguang Studio

location: Longwanggou Village, Hubei Province, China

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: myrto katsikopoulou | designboom

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Located in Dongnan Village near Shaxi Old Town in Dali, Yunnan, China, No. 8 House is a residential project by Xian Architects. The design engages with the region’s historic context, where traditional Bai settlements and community rituals continue to shape everyday life. The house references the Kuige Stage in nearby Sideng Street, a historic wooden structure with expansive eaves that define its spatial character. Drawing from this precedent, the architects introduced curving eaves on the residence’s terraces, corridors, and rooftop parapets. These elements provide shade in Dali’s sunlit basin while establishing a visual dialogue with the local architectural heritage.

The spatial organization is centered on a series of courtyards and sky-well volumes. Two vertical towers, a Sundial Tower and a Book Tower, anchor the composition, functioning as contemporary interpretations of traditional sky-wells that bring natural light, wind, and rain into the interior. These voids, combined with the house’s upturned eaves and open courtyards, create a dynamic interplay of shadow, air, and weather, integrating the rhythms of the environment into daily living.

all images by Liu Guowei, Xia Zhi

Open courtyards invite wind, rain, and shadow into daily routine

The ground-level courtyard connects the main living spaces, which include a living room, dining area, yoga and meditation room, master suite, and six guest rooms. The rear garden accommodates functional and recreational spaces such as storage, a wine cellar, a drying area, a woodworking workshop, and an outdoor campsite. Xian Architects’ team follows material and formal strategies that emphasize continuity between interior and exterior. The layout frames transitional conditions between open and enclosed zones, supporting both collective and individual activities. The design focuses on orchestrating relationships between time, space, and atmosphere, where architecture acts as a medium to engage with the surrounding landscape and climate.

Through its combination of sky-wells, courtyards, and shading elements, No. 8 House explores how architecture can mediate between traditional typologies and contemporary living requirements. The project reflects a design approach rooted in everyday life while situating the residence within a broader cultural and environmental continuum.

No. 8 House by Xian Architects stands in Dongnan Village near Shaxi Old Town

the residence engages with the historic traditions of Bai settlements

curved eaves reference the Kuige Stage in nearby Sideng Street

courtyards and sky-well volumes structure the organization of the house

expansive overhangs provide shade in Dali’s bright, highland basin

the Sundial Tower acts as a vertical sky-well for light and air

a Book Tower introduces natural elements into the interior spaces

natural light and ventilation shape the atmosphere of the interiors

design strategies mediate between tradition and contemporary living

No. 8 House reflects everyday life within a cultural and environmental continuum

project info:

name: No. 8 House in Dongnan Village
architect: Xian Architects | @xian.architects

location: Shaxi, Dali, Yunnan, China

land area: 990 sqm

gross built area: 733 sqm

lead architects: Wang Yanshi, Bai He

design team: Dong Zhiyuan, Liu Yifeng, Zhou Mengzheng

engineering: Gao Xuemei

structural designer: Li Ping

photographers: Liu Guowei, Xia Zhi

video: Liu Guowei

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

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Beijing-based B.L.U.E. Architecture Studio takes to the historic Guangling district of Yangzhou, China to design this Jiangnan House hotel. The renovation project brings contemporary hospitality to a site that layers timber-frame architecture with twentieth-century brick-concrete structures. What was once a cinema is now a modern retreat that humbly preserves Yangzhou’s cultural heritage.

The renovation forms part of the first phase of the Guangling Ancient City urban renewal program. Architecture and Engineering Co., Ltd. of Southeast University oversaw the overall planning, while B.L.U.E. Architecture Studio was responsible for key interior renovations, two new buildings, and facade updates.

The design team worked alongside local groups including Yangjian Group and Yangzhou Yijiangxuan Garden and Ancient Architecture Construction Co., Ltd., creating a collaborative platform that celebrates the neighborhood’s historic urban fabric.

images © XIA ZHI Pictures

a sensitive renovation by b.l.u.e. architecture studio

B.L.U.E. Architecture Studio sites the lobby of its Jiangnan House within the former auditorium of the former cinema. The building’s original timber roof structure has been preserved by the design team to maintain the lofty interiors. A new screen nods to the building’s cinematic past, while a central tree pond and corridor recall the courtyards of traditional Yangzhou gardens.

Aged elm wood, natural stone flooring, and sawtooth wood veneer establish a tactile palette, complemented by terrazzo and vintage metal fittings inspired by historic cinemas. Local artists contributed woodcarving prints of classic film scenes, reinforcing the connection to the site’s earlier life.

Jiangnan House stands within the historic fabric of Yangzhou’s Guangling district

inside the new jiangnan house

The Jiangnan House offers forty guest rooms, many set within the preserved courtyard layout of the B.L.U.E. Architecture Studio-renovated heritage buildings. These rooms occupy two newly constructed volumes, whose design draws on the forms of pavilions and terraces found in classical Yangzhou gardens, using flowing corridors and layered roofs to create a sense of movement and varied perspective.

Recycled bricks, bamboo-molded concrete, and hand-carved stone tiles pair contemporary techniques with the textures of the old courtyard walls and the small green tiles typical of local architecture.

While the original timber structures and facades remain intact, each unit is fit with air-conditioning, heating, and ensuite baths. Natural materials like wood, stone, handmade bricks, and textured plaster lend a quiet authenticity. Details like hand-hewn wood panels, distressed copper surfaces, and woodblock prints reference Yangzhou’s craft traditions, while vertical greenery along the corridors softens the facades and enriches the guest experience.

B.L.U.E. Architecture Studio leads the interior renovation and design of two new buildings

a central tree pond and garden evoke the spirit of traditional Yangzhou courtyards

vertical greenery and subtle facade updates lend a calm atmosphere for guests

the former Subei Cinema lobby retains its timber roof structure and high ceilings

natural materials like aged elm wood and stone flooring create a tactile interior

forty guest rooms with local craft details occupy preserved timber structures

project info:

name: Jiangnan House Yangzhou Guangling

architect: B.L.U.E. Architecture Studio | @blue_architecturestudio

location: Guangling, Yangzhou, China

gross area: 4,250 square meters

completion: April 2025

photography: © XIA ZHI Pictures | @xiazhi_pictures

urban renewal: Architecture and Engineering Co., Ltd. of Southeast University

interior design: B.L.U.E. Architecture Studio

landscape design: Youxiang Lab

cinema exhibition design: Zhudaoruwen Studio

client: Guangling Culture&Tourism Group

brand operation: Vanke Hotels & Resorts

construction: Yangjian Group; Yangzhou Yijiangxuan Garden Ancient Architecture Construction Co., Ltd. (Renovation of Cultural Heritage Buildings)

B.L.U.E. Architecture Studio team: Shuhei Aoyama, Yoko Fujii, Lingzi Liu, Suyun Li, Ziwei Zhou, Jingyuan Li, Xinrui Zhao, Jiahui Wang, Jingyu Yan

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Shanghai-based studio Archi-Union designs this landmark Linpan Cloud Eye as a community center in Qingxia Town, a rural village of China‘s Sichuan Province. The three-level building can be found about an hour’s drive from Chengdu. Surrounded by bamboo forest and mountain streams, the project serves as a cultural and community health hub while embracing the site’s natural topography.

The center is tucked into a hillside clearing where a stream enters from the east. Archi-Union retained the dense bamboo grove and arranged the program around a small courtyard that steps upward with the slope. Activity spaces occupy the lower two floors, and a third-floor terrace opens to mountain views. This vertical layering creates a parallel relationship with a nearby cliffside and frames distant fields through roof apertures, inspiring its name, ‘Cloud Eye.’

images © Ke Wang

archi-union’s digitally-designed rooftop

Visitors enter along a bamboo-lined path, which the team at Archi-Union designs to conceal the Linpan Cloud Eye until the last turn. A flowing roof canopy guides them into a series of outdoor platforms that link interior and exterior spaces. Three primary courtyards — a bamboo entry, a central green, and a roof terrace — are open for community gatherings and everyday use. Wide openings and covered walkways reflect traditional Sichuan typologies while maintaining clear circulation.

The building can be recognized by its dramatic rooftop, whose sculptural construction is supported by three curved steel beams. The precise geometries of these beams were generated through digital modeling, then rationalized into straight segments for efficient fabrication. A skin of locally-crafted bamboo finishes the ceilings and handrails, bringing an element of regional craft to the contemporary architecture. These natural textures soften the concrete and steel structure and reinforce the center’s dialogue with its environment.

Linpan Cloud Eye sits within a bamboo forest in China’s Sichuan Province

robotic craft for a rural site

A key interior feature of the Linpan Cloud Eye is its ‘water wall,’ a 3D-printed element created by Archi-Union to capture the movement of nearby creek water in sculpted folds. The architects used algorithmic design to translate the water’s shifting surface into machine-readable code, allowing robots to fabricate the panels with precision. The result brings a digital logic to a project otherwise defined by its handcrafted bamboo work and rural design language.

Elevated ground-floor areas hover over the bamboo grove, while upper levels offer quieter spaces and panoramic platforms. By combining advanced construction methods with vernacular forms and local craft, the project establishes a contemporary precedent for rural development that honors its landscape and lends a space for the community.

the building follows the natural slope with three vertically-stacked levels

the flowing rooftop guides visitors through courtyards and terraces

traditional bamboo weaving softens the concrete and steel structure

three curved steel beams, generated by digital modeling, support the continuous roof

a 3D-printed water wall echoes the motion of nearby creek water

the project hybridizes advanced fabrication methods with regional craft

project info:

name: Linpan Cloud Eye

architect: Archi-Union | @archi_union

location: Chengdu, China

area: 868 square meters

completion: 2022

photography: © Ke Wang

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Archermit presents the Nujiang River 72 Turns Canyon Scenic Area in Tibet, an infrastructure that translates the peril and grandeur of the Sichuan–Tibet Highway into a visitor experience. Completed after six years of high-altitude construction, the project is located in Buze Village, Baxoi County, along the G318 Highway. It centers on a dramatic glass viewing platform cantilevered 37 meters from a cliff face above the Nujiang Grand Canyon, echoing the legendary hairpin bends of the ‘devil’s road’, the 72 turns of Nujiang.

The main structure of the project reimagines the infamous road’s serpentine layout as a walkable loop suspended 130 meters over the canyon. Its floor of ultra-clear laminated glass offers views into the abyss, while the red weathering steel cladding references Tibetan cultural colors and mirrors the rugged textures of the landscape. This precarious position transforms the driving ordeal of the 72 turns into a ‘heavenly road’ in the air that demands visitors measure danger with their own bodies.

images by Arch-exist, unless stated otherwise

Channeling the highway’s construction legacy

The Chengdu-based team of Archermit suspends a glass bridge 50 meters above the Nujiang River, recalling the old steel bridge once feared by truck drivers and guarded for single-file crossings. Other installations include a zip line, the ‘thrilling steps’ bridge, and a 666-step ladder carved into the cliffs that reinterpret the methods and hardships of the highway’s builders, who in the 1950s faced landslides, hand-built cableways, and unstable geology with limited tools. 

Constructing the site itself became an act of endurance. Perched at 2,800 meters, the canyon offered little flat ground, narrow roads, frequent rockfalls, and relentless valley winds. Machinery longer than 13 meters could not be delivered, forcing the Chinese architects to develop customized drill bits to cut through the canyon’s variable rock layers. Thirty-nine piles for the viewing platform’s foundations were drilled manually, with workers secured by ropes as they chipped away rock 25 meters deep. Steel components were divided into 46 transportable sections and lifted across the river by a system of temporary cableways, echoing the highway’s original construction methods.

The project positions itself as a new waypoint on G318, China’s scenic avenue to Lhasa, adding to nearby landmarks such as Ranwu Lake and Laigu Glacier. 

Archermit presents the Nujiang River 72 Turns Canyon Scenic Area in Tibet

the infrastructure translates the peril and grandeur of the Sichuan–Tibet Highway into a visitor experience

completed after six years of high-altitude construction

a glass viewing platform cantilevers 37 meters from a cliff face | image by Chill Shine

echoing the hairpin bends of the 72 turns of Nujiang | image by Chill Shine

the canyon offered little flat ground, narrow roads, frequent rockfalls, and relentless valley winds

the project positions itself as a new waypoint on G318, China’s scenic avenue to Lhasa | image by Chill Shine

transforming the driving ordeal of the 72 turns into a ‘heavenly road’ in the air

demanding visitors measure danger with their own bodies | image by Chill Shine

Archermit suspends a glass bridge 50 meters above the Nujiang River | image by Chill Shine

other installations include a zip line, the ‘thrilling steps’ bridge, and a 666-step ladder carved into the cliffs

perched at 2,800 meters

steel components were divided into 46 transportable sections and lifted across the river

thirty-nine piles for the viewing platform’s foundations were drilled manually

project info:

name: Nujiang River 72 Turns Canyon Scenic Area

architect: Archermit | @archermit_architects

location: Buze Village, Baxoi County, Tibet Autonomous Region, China

photographers: Arch-Exist | @archexist, Chill Shine | @chillshinestudio

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In July 2025, artist Karolina Halatek presented Ascent in Qingdao as part of Lancôme’s Voyage of the Rose program. The five-meter-high installation is composed of a spiral of mist and light, creating an immersive, site-specific environment.

The work investigates the interplay of light and atmosphere through a spatial structure that integrates optical and environmental effects. Mist and illumination combine to form shifting visual conditions, placing visitors within an altered perceptual field. The installation references microscopic observations, electromagnetic wave behavior, and atmospheric dynamics, while also addressing themes of transformation and continuity.

all images courtesy of Lancôme unless stated otherwise

Karolina Halatek’s installation interprets Lancôme’s emblem

Halatek is a Polish visual artist whose practice centers on large-scale light installations and immersive environments. Her projects frequently involve collaborations with scientists and engineers to achieve technically complex results. Her work has been presented internationally across Europe, the USA, the Middle East, and Asia.

Ascent was created and produced in collaboration with Somexing Artistic Agency for Lancôme’s Voyage of the Rose, an initiative that commissioned four international artists to interpret the brand’s Absolue Rose emblem. Each installation combined art, science, and sustainable design within temporary spaces across China. The series included: Garden of Everything by Juju Wang in Wuhan (April), Ascent by Karolina Halatek in Qingdao (July), Birth of an Icon by Casey Curran in Chengdu (August), and A Gift from Eternal Rose by Daigo Daikoku in Shenzhen (August).

Ascent by Karolina Halatek rises five meters in Qingdao | image courtesy of Karolina Halatek

a spiral of mist and light defines the installation | image courtesy of Karolina Halatek

the work transforms atmosphere into a spatial experience

shifting light conditions alter visitors’ perception | image courtesy of Karolina Halatek

mist and illumination combine to form dynamic effects

inspired by microscopic observations and electromagnetic waves

the structure explores themes of transformation and continuity

the work balances technical precision and spatial impact

Ascent was presented for Lancôme’s Voyage of the Rose

Ascent interprets the Absolue Rose, Lancôme’s emblem of regeneration

project info:

name: Ascent
artist: Karolina Halatek | @karolinahalatek

location: Qingdao, China

exhibition: Voyage of the Rose

client: Lancôme | @lancomeofficial

agency: Somexing Artistic | @somexing_

curators: Isabelle Gavalda & Lucille Enel

artistic liaison: Lavinia Diniz Freitas 

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Located in the Lijia area of Yubei District, Chongqing, China, the Golden Bay Kindergarten by NAN Architects responds to both a constrained triangular site and the psychological needs of early childhood education. Positioned along the Jialing River, the project integrates spatial strategies that balance openness, play, and protection. The school’s design adopts a staggered stacking method in which each classroom unit is sequentially set back, creating terraces on every floor. These outdoor extensions function as transitional zones between inside and outside, offering continuity across levels so that each floor maintains the quality of being at ground level. This configuration encourages openness while supporting the psychological development of children through spatial variety.

The facade is defined by two complementary strategies. On the south and north elevations, large floor-to-ceiling glazing maximizes daylight and frames expansive views of the river. On the east–west axis, a permeable terracotta brick screen provides shading, reduces glare, and maintains privacy from nearby streets and villas. At night, the screen takes on a lantern-like quality, glowing softly and creating a distinctive visual presence. For children, the interplay of light and shadow contributes to an environment that is both stimulating and reassuring.

all images courtesy of NAN Architects

NAN Architects Balances Urban and Child-Centered Design

At the urban scale, the building presents different interfaces depending on orientation. The north side, facing the river and main road, houses circulation routes and auxiliary functions such as offices, meeting rooms, and stairwells, which are linked into an open walkway that doubles as a public viewing platform. The south side, oriented toward residential buildings, adopts a fragmented, playful massing that softens its visual impact and creates a more intimate relationship with the neighborhood. Through the combined use of staggered stacking and semi-transparent facades, the project reconciles site limitations with educational requirements. The concept by studio NAN Architects results in an architecture that supports children’s learning and growth while engaging with its broader urban and environmental context.

Golden Bay Kindergarten is located in the Lijia area of Yubei District, Chongqing

staggered stacking sets back each classroom unit in sequence

every level features its own terrace as an outdoor extension

floor-to-ceiling glazing on north and south facades maximizes natural light

the project by NAN Architects sits along the Jialing River

the configuration encourages openness and variety for children

terracotta brick screens define the east–west facades

at night, the facade glows like a lantern within the neighborhood

light and shadow enhance both safety and imagination for children

the building softens its presence toward adjacent residences

the design integrates educational needs with urban and environmental context

project info:

name: Chonqing Golden Bay Kindergarten
architects: NAN Architects

location: Chongqing, China

principal architect: NAN Xu

design team: ZHOU Dingqi, TANG Huilian, WANG Wenyu, YANG Huiling, CHEN Mengfan, MU Canqi, MA Qi

structural consultant: ZHANG Zhun

client: Hongkong Land, China Merchants Shekou

construction drawings: China Machinery Zhonglian Engineering Co., Ltd., China Coal Technology & Engineering Group Chongqing Design & Research Institute

materials: Reinforced concrete, terracotta brick, floor-to-ceiling glazing

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

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In Suqian, Jiangsu Province, China, Aiyuan Town is defined by its centuries-old pear orchards, where ladders are central to seasonal harvesting. Each spring, villagers carry these tools into the fields to collect fruit, a tradition passed down through generations. The Climbing Amphitheater reimagines the ladder beyond its agricultural role, transforming it into the structural foundation of a community gathering space. The amphitheater is designed as a mobile, assembly-based structure built collectively by local residents. Families bring tools and timber to construct or dismantle the circular framework, turning the act of building into a communal practice. This process strengthens ties within the village while giving a functional object new social and cultural meaning.

Constructed primarily from pear wood treated for durability, the structure integrates both traditional and contemporary techniques. The framework consists of wooden bases, triangular supports, ladders, steel-wood joints, and tension straps. Each ladder retains its agricultural identity through angled rungs while contributing to a larger architectural rhythm. Mortise-and-tenon joinery combined with modern adhesives ensures structural stability, reflecting a synthesis of vernacular craftsmanship and modern design.

all images courtesy of Yutao Chen and Yiwen Gu

transforming a farming tool into a communal gathering space

During the farming season, the amphitheater remains embedded in the orchard landscape, blending with the environment. Outside of harvest, it becomes a venue for gatherings, performances, and celebrations. At night, light and sound transform the space into a stage for collective activity, linking routine agricultural life with cultural expression.

By integrating farming tools into its architectural form, the Climbing Amphitheater, designed by Yutao Chen and Yiwen Gu, establishes a dialogue between memory, tradition, and contemporary rural life. It reinforces the relationship between people and place, demonstrating how modest, locally driven design can revitalize community identity and foster new forms of shared experience.

Climbing Amphitheater reinterprets ladders as an architectural framework

the framework includes bases, triangular supports, ladders, and steel-wood joints

the bottom support adopts a triangular force system

the vertical long rod controls the height of the structure through the connecting pulley

the structure is made primarily from durable, anti-corrosion pear wood

the project transforms a farming tool into a communal gathering space

at night, light and sound animate the amphitheater as a stage

farming routines and cultural celebrations converge in the orchard setting

the amphitheater blends traditional craftsmanship with contemporary construction

Climbing Amphitheater revitalizes rural life through modest, community-driven design

designed by Yutao Chen and Yiwen Gu, the project bridges memory and modernity

project info:

name: Climbing Amphitheater
designers: Yutao Chen | @yutaoch, Yiwen Gu

location: Aiyuan Town, Suqian, Jiangsu Province, China

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