Shuǐ Xíng Design: Winner of World Design Awards 2023. The Golden-roofed Pavillion is a commemorative landscape architecture project located in Anxin Park of Sun Palace, Chaoyang District, Beijing. With an area of 2.87 hectares, Anxin Park serves locals in 10 surrounding neighborhoods.

Historical Background

Legend has it that Emperor Qianlong was amazed to see a sun-gilded village when he passed by it one morning. He thought it was the village closest to the sun and hence named it Sun Palace. Later, a namesake temple was erected here to worship the God of the Sun.

Based on this cultural context, the corridor is slated to be built along the circular main road in the highest part of the park, with a design that not only has historical relevance but also fits into its surroundings in Anxin Park.

Design Idea

The corridor stretches along the circular main road. The structural walls of each part of it are not as orthogonal as conventional ones, but instead deflected at a certain angle to creat a dynamic sense of space, just like the trees in the park whose locations are not chosen deliberately.

Four interconnected units surrounding the central courtyard of the corridor are modeled after the old Sun Palace. The four different-sized sections, which stand as a metaphor for the staggered Sun Palace Village, and the golden roofs, which symbolize the buildings of the ancient Sun Palace, both imply the palace’s past while forming a contemporary park landscape.

Open, Fluid Spaces

The corridor is composed of custom-made aluminum roofs and blade walls. The staggered roofs, the unconventional arrangement of walls, and the interlocked spaces create varied gaps that blur the boundaries between the inside and outside of the corridor and between the whole corridor and its surroundings, thereby realizing the openness and fluidity of the spaces.

Shady Living Room

The white walls make it easy for local communities to arrange displays, and they can more clearly show the changes of light and shadow as the sun rises and sets. The long corridor in white and gold stretches like four large trees with a golden crown, which seemingly forms an extended living room for wandering. Sunlight shining into the corridor through the gaps casts a mottled shadow, the same as the sun-dappled shade of trees.

Project Details
Firm
Shuǐ Xíng Design

Designer
Hang Wang

Project Name
Golden Roof Pavilion

World Design Awards Category
Public Landscape Design Built

Project Location
Beijing

Team
Hang Wang,Wei Yan,Bingxin Yang

Country
China

Photography ©Credit
©Zenglei Chi

Shuǐ Xíng , taking its name from the formless nature of water, embodies this element’s adaptive philosophy in its approach to design. Just as water molds itself into the shape of its container, whether a jug, cup, or bottle, Shuǐ Xíng Design shapes its designs according to the needs and potentials of a project, crafting interesting and emotionally resonant works.