Text description provided by the architects. The client want to build a small cultural facility on the site. Firstly, it will be a studio for researchers work and be a library for professional book. Due to sit close to Jinfeng village, it is named as Jinfeng academy.

Entrance detail. Image

Penetrating four sceneries
Firstly, a one-story room in the southeast corner is built as a research studio, A small tea room is set westwards in a certain distance. These two blocks are covered by one roof, forming an L-shaped layout. Similarly, in the northwest corner, a two-story room is built for accommodation, and a library is set eastward in a certain distance.

Courtyard with penetrating scenery(West_Direction). Image

Courtyard view. Image

Those also constitute an L-shaped layout. The two L shape blocks spontaneously enclose a yard in the middle. The two L-shapes are slightly separated and rotated at a certain angle in order to penetrate sceneries.

Layout of courtyard and roof. Image

Dry Landscape Courtyard
The two L-shaped block embrace an abstract core. Conceptually, it is a courtyard of meditation. Hence dry landscape is a proper expression in the courtyard. No plants are planted. Only gray sand and several groups of hard rocks constitute a spiritual world. Only path, which is paved with grey stone, connects this abstract courtyard with the real-life scenery outside.

Platform extending over the roof. Image

1-1 Section

The fifth scenery. Image

The fifth scenery
A platform lands over the roof, where panorama of Qinling Mountains is present. A trail starting from courtyard is necessary to reach this place poetically. Because of its circling upward trend, we call it as the cloud trail. Hence, the fifth scenery, highlight the difference with four horizontal sceneries.

Entrance. Image © Chao Zhang

• Architects

  Tumushi Architects

• Location

  Jinfengshan, Zhouzhi, Xi’an, China

• Category

  Educational Architecture

• Lead Architects

  Qili Yang, Yan Bai

• Design Team

  Dong Wang, Fang Li, Wen Zhang, Marina, Liye Fan, Ruiji Sun, Jingwen Yuan

• Charge on Site

  Dong Wang

• Client

  Qinling National Botanical Garden

• Area

  400.0 m2

• Project Year

  2017

• Photographs

  Chao Zhang