architecture by sharina li
the shangen blossom pavilion is a brutal reaction to this overly tidied-up, renovated village. it comes from a swirl that responds to the surroundings: the need for gatherings by the bridge, the desire to climb high for the views, and the structural support that simultaneously pulls up the swirl and cones into the ground.
the cone collects rainwater passing through the sloping planter walls and drains it into a pond on the ground. the cone stops, allowing sunlight into the rooms underneath. it breaks the boundaries of building and landscape and blends existing features into a vivid built environment for people to enjoy.
shangen village is a renovation project in wenzhou, dedicated to transforming the once traditionally built village into a tourism destination. spactrum left the project soon after they proposed the master plan during 2017-2018.
the village has been hugely cleaned up since then but has lost some of its ancient ambience. the once charming chaos has turned into the blankness of purposeful building activity. the spactrum team became involved again, aiming to recall and restore the power of ambiguity once felt on the site, and started to work on an empty plot by the village bridge.
the site is an empty plot adjacent to a traditional 1950’s – 60’s style village house. it’s in a strategic location, close to the village’s central bridge, and the river has the potential to be a focal point both for the view and as the community spiritual centre. https://bit.ly/3sYdC45
Design Demic 