Completion of the Pujiang Platform, seamlessly integrated into the natural landscape of Chengdu’s hills.

The Pujiang Platform introduces a new model in the southern hills of Chengdu, where an arched, earth-covered timber structure balances integration with nature and visual prominence. The Pujiang County Planning and Resources Bureau commissioned this architecture platform to serve a dual function as an event space and a viewing platform. The design reconstructs the original hilltop previously flattened by earlier construction and creates a quiet public space that demonstrates the potential of timber construction in China, a notable departure from a context dominated by concrete buildings. As a result, the project functions more as a documentary architectural experiment than as a mere tourist attraction, raising broader questions about contemporary architectural design and rapidly transforming cities.

Design Concept

The pavilion’s telescopic form guides visitors toward a 10 meter glass facade and an outward balcony. Inside, the floor slopes downward with the hillside, forming a tribune for gatherings or quiet viewing. A new staircase loops existing paths and leads to a secondary circular platform. This platform provides 360 degree views of mountains and nearby terrain. Such spatial strategies reflect broader trends in contemporary architectural design.

Materials & Construction

Timber frames the main structure, challenging China’s regulatory hesitation toward wood despite its carbon benefits. The roof is covered with a 10 centimeter earth berm planted with native grasses and shrubs. Glazing is limited to a single north-facing window to reduce solar gain. These choices showcase alternative approaches in building materials and align with low-impact construction practices.

Sustainability

Passive strategies reduce operational emissions. The earth berm provides insulation and thermal mass. Layered ceilings enable natural ventilation. A geothermal heat pump supplies part of the energy demand. Rainwater is collected from existing channels for irrigation. These features reflect principles detailed in our sustainability research.

Urban and Civic Impact

The platform serves locals and tourists alike. It hosts weddings, meetings, and quiet visits. At night, its lit window becomes a beacon visible from the plains. This dual role links it to broader debates on public space in growing cities. Yet accessibility and programming will determine its long-term relevance.

Does embedding architecture into nature require disappearance or strategic visibility?

Architectural Snapshot: A 10 meter glass fronted, timber framed pavilion with a green roof and geothermal support, perched on a reconstructed hill near Chengdu, China.

ArchUp Editorial Insight

The Pujiang Platform by MVRDV attempts reconciliation between spectacle and humility, draping a timber arch in earth to echo a lost hill near Chengdu. Structurally, it champions wood in a concrete-dominant industry, yet its beacon like nighttime glow betrays the very camouflage it claims. The project leans on sustainability credentials geothermal energy, green roofs, passive ventilation but these feel more like compliance than conviction. Still, its tribune-like interior offers rare spatial sincerity. Whether it will age as a thoughtful gesture or dissolve into eco tourism cliché depends on what the hills remember longer: the hill that was erased, or the one that replaced it.