A House in Xueshan Village is a 350-sqm self-developed residential project designed by DL Atelier in Xueshan Village, Changping District, Beijing. Located at the urban-rural fringe, approximately 30 minutes from the city’s Second Ring Road, the building operates simultaneously as a private residence, a design office, and a space for community-oriented activities. The project explores how multiple programs can coexist within a single architectural framework while remaining adaptable to future change.

The site occupies a rectangular plot at the northeastern edge of the village, bordered by village roads to the north and west and neighboring courtyards to the east and south. Initially undeveloped, the plot was activated through a design process that addressed three potential uses: residential living, office operation, and rental or commercial activity. Rather than fixing a single function, the project was conceived as a flexible spatial system capable of supporting these different scenarios over time.

The architectural strategy reverses the typical rural housing model in which buildings enclose a central courtyard. Instead, the building volume is placed at the center of the site, allowing courtyards of varying sizes to surround it on all sides. This arrangement ensures that each room has direct outdoor access while improving daylight, ventilation, and spatial flexibility. Perimeter walls are raised to maintain privacy, and the building mass steps back at upper levels to form terraces for second-floor bedrooms. A three-car garage occupies the side of the site facing the village road, responding to both functional requirements and street conditions. A large sliding door allows the garage to open fully to the street, enabling its use for outward-facing programs while visually extending the street into the site. The garage is integrated with a workshop used for fabrication and prototyping, separating noisy or dusty activities from the living areas while maintaining operational efficiency.

all images by ©Zhu Yumeng – Coppak Studio

A Hybrid Interior Framework for Public and Private Activities

Interior spaces are organized as open, fluid zones that can shift between residential, office, exhibition, and commercial uses. On the ground floor, public interior spaces connect directly to the courtyard, allowing indoor and outdoor activities to overlap. The second floor combines private living areas with open workspaces accommodating over ten people. An independent office entrance, staircase, and restroom on the street-facing side allow work functions to operate separately from the residence or be connected as needed.

The building, developed by DL Atelier design studio, also incorporates exhibition and community functions. A former living room has been converted into a display space, while a ground-floor room currently operates as a small community library accessible from the street. The building itself serves as a demonstrative platform for rainwater harvesting and recycling systems, while ground-level and rooftop gardens are used for ongoing landscape and planting experiments. Anticipating future changes in village infrastructure, the east facade was designed with increased glazing to support potential street-facing commercial use once the adjacent road is widened. Throughout the project, architectural expression was intentionally kept neutral, prioritizing economical construction, standard materials, and ease of replication over individualized formal gestures.

House in Xueshan Village is a hybrid residence designed by DL Atelier in Beijing’s urban-rural fringe

Hybrid Program and Passive Design at the Urban-Rural Edge

The project employs a passive energy-saving approach aimed at reducing long-term operational costs and improving environmental performance. Building form, insulation, and orientation were carefully calibrated, alongside detailed studies of window placement, courtyard wall heights, and seasonal ventilation patterns. Courtyard walls help promote cross-ventilation in summer while shielding the building from cold winds in winter. Landscape and water systems were developed in collaboration with the homeowner, whose professional background informed the rainwater management strategy. Permeable paving, planted courtyards, and a partially soil-covered green roof work together as an integrated rainwater collection, infiltration, and reuse system. These elements support both environmental performance and ongoing research into water-efficient landscape design.

By accommodating residential, work, exhibition, and income-generating functions within a single structure, A House in Xueshan Village proposes a hybrid lifestyle model suited to the urban-rural fringe. The project positions architecture as a tool for flexible living and small-scale development, responding to changing professional patterns and housing needs. Rather than presenting a fixed solution, the building functions as a prototype for adaptable, self-developed housing. Its design supports phased growth, potential connections with neighboring plots, and the gradual formation of a small, mixed-use community. As such, the project frames architecture not as an isolated object, but as a scalable framework for future rural development at the edge of the city.

the project combines living, working, and community programs within a single adaptable structure

the building volume is positioned at the center of the site rather than enclosing a single courtyard

multiple courtyards of varying sizes surround the building on all sides

every room connects directly to an outdoor space for daylight and ventilation

raised perimeter walls provide privacy from neighboring properties

upper floors step back to form terraces for second-floor bedrooms

architectural expression is intentionally kept neutral, prioritizing economical construction and standard materials

a separate office entrance and staircase allow work functions to operate independently

ground-floor public spaces connect directly to the courtyard

the garage is combined with a workshop for fabrication and prototyping

courtyards and a partially soil-covered roof support passive cooling and water management

a ground-floor room functions as a community library accessible from the street

project info:

name: A House in Xueshan Village

architect: DL Atelier
lead architects: Liu Yang, Cai Zhuoqun

location: Beijing, Changping, China

area: 350 sqm

client: Mr.Zhao

structure: Gao Xuemei

HVAC: Guo Haifeng

landscape & rainwater energy conservation design: Beijing Yuren Runke Ecological Technology Co., Ltd.

photographer: Zhu Yumeng – Coppak Studio | @Yumeng_Zhu_coppakstudio

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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LuxeIsland Restaurant, designed by DL Atelier, forms part of the newly developed LuxeIsland project in Wuhan, China. Conceived within a children’s playground, the building occupies a prominent position at the island’s gateway and was alternatively titled The Brave Cabin, a name that reflects its location among climbing structures intended to encourage exploration and courage. With an interior area of less than 200 sqm, the restaurant emphasizes open, shaded spaces that extend the dining experience into the landscape.

The project builds on a long-standing collaboration between DL Atelier and LUXELAKES, following previous work such as Dotsss Children’s Museum, Edenland Architectural, and The CAPE Commercial District. The design approach for LuxeIsland Restaurant centers on the idea of creating a compact but visually expressive structure that operates as both a dining venue and a landmark visible from across the river. Formally, the building takes the shape of a small mountain composed of interlocking, angular volumes that appear to rise from the ground. Its massing curves gently along the island’s shoreline, while its height and scale ensure visibility through surrounding trees. The structure invites exploration as visitors approach along the open lawns and wooded paths.

all images by ©Zhu Yumeng – Coppak Studio

interlocking angular Volumes outline LuxeIsland Restaurant

The final design adopts an efficient system of flat planes clad entirely in solid wood strips. The architectural team at DL Atelier selected this design approach for construction due to its feasibility and visual coherence. The wooden exterior gives the building a warm, tactile character while maintaining a sculptural form that integrates with the natural setting. The building’s roof structure employs a steel space frame, enabling large cantilevers, some exceeding ten meters, and accommodating the restaurant’s open plan. Four clusters of composite steel columns, clad in black stone panels, support the main volume. Portions of this cladding extend outward to create functional elements such as outdoor seating, takeout counters, and wash stations. The triangular openings embedded in the roof serve both as visual apertures and as housings for interior lighting and mechanical systems.

Internally, the restaurant and water bar are enclosed by full-height glass walls, establishing visual continuity between indoor activity and the surrounding park. Large mechanical and kitchen systems are concealed within the roof volume to maintain the purity of the form. The roof’s multi-layered geometry is central to the overall composition, enhancing spatial hierarchy and providing a dynamic profile to the site. As one of the first standalone structures to open on LuxeIsland, the restaurant acts as a showcase for the development’s architectural identity. It combines structural precision with an expressive silhouette that interacts with its recreational setting. The project demonstrates how compact architecture can operate simultaneously as infrastructure, landmark, and social space, inviting both play and pause along the island’s waterfront.

LuxeIsland Restaurant by DL Atelier sits at the entrance of LuxeIsland in Wuhan

a sculptural landmark designed within a children’s playground

located at the island’s gateway, the structure is visible from across the river

shaded semi-outdoor spaces extend the dining area into the landscape

the form resembles a small mountain composed of angular, interlocking volumes

composite steel columns clad in black stone anchor the main volume

the structure’s height ensures visibility through the surrounding trees

solid wood strips clad the exterior, enhancing texture and warmth

a wooden and glass facade gives the building a lightweight, natural presence

full-height glass walls connect the interior to the surrounding park

triangular roof openings integrate lighting and ventilation systems

the massing curves gently along the island’s shoreline

the layered roof geometry defines the building’s distinctive silhouette

visitors approach the building through open lawns and woodland paths

combining structure, landscape, and play, LuxeIsland Restaurant serves as both dining space and landmark

project info:

name: LuxeIsland Restaurant

architect: DL Atelier
design team: Liu Yang, Xu Dan, Hu Yiwei

location: Wuhan, China

photographer: Zhu Yumeng – Coppak Studio | @Yumeng_Zhu_coppakstudio

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Located within a bamboo grove between a road and the Tiegang River in Longtan Town, Huizhou, Guangdong Province, China, the Floral Wander Loop by DL Atelier forms part of the Nankunshan–Luofushan Rim Pioneer Zone Architectural Art Project. The initiative draws inspiration from Su Shi’s ‘Sixteen Joys of Life in Huizhou,’ a literary work composed during the poet’s exile in the region. Each of the sixteen installations along the circuit road interprets one of these joys; the Tiegang River Pavilion, Floral Wander Loop, references the motif ‘Humbly sought to make flowers bloom.’

The project reinterprets this poetic metaphor through spatial experience rather than literal representation. The building is organized as an elongated loop that aligns with both the flow of the river and the movement of vehicles along the adjacent road. The circulation departs and returns along the same route, alternating between constricted and open spaces to generate a rhythmic sequence of compression and release. Within the limited site of the bamboo forest, this continuous path extends the visitors’ journey, transforming movement itself into a spatial narrative. The design mediates between two linear continuities, the road and the river, by establishing a third layer within the bamboo grove. The pavilion serves as a spatial interface rather than a barrier, allowing natural drainage and vegetation to remain uninterrupted. The main structure consists of narrow weathering steel modules measuring approximately 2.1 meters high and 1.2 meters wide, arranged in a staggered parallel configuration to form a passageway. The units are elevated slightly above the ground on 1-centimeter steel plates, ensuring water permeability and preserving the site’s natural contours.

all images by ©Zhu Yumeng – Coppak Studio

Floral Wander Loop forms a sequence of four spatial narratives

The pavilion unfolds through four spatial episodes, Pleasant, Powerless, Serendipitous, and Expansive, each reflecting a different stage in Su Shi’s life and poetic expression. Pleasant: The entrance plaza follows the site’s natural topography, opening at a higher elevation. Defined by gravel paving, bamboo edges, and minimal seating, it includes facilities such as a water bar and restrooms. This open and calm setting introduces the journey before descending into the narrow metallic passage. Powerless: Within the corridor of weathering steel, visitors encounter a constricted, dimly lit environment. Here, environmental elements, light, wind, and rain, are perceived through narrow apertures, producing a heightened awareness of natural phenomena and spatial tension. Serendipitous: The path concludes in a circular pavilion containing a floral installation by artist Chen Zhuo. Inspired by natural rock formations, the work is rendered in stainless steel with a random hairline finish that diffuses color and light. A central skylight frames the bamboo canopy above, marking a transition from enclosure to openness. Expansive: The loop extends outward toward the river, where swings made of metal mesh are positioned along the water’s edge. The open landscape, natural light, and reflective surfaces provide a contrast to the preceding enclosure. The design thus transitions from compression to release, symbolically and spatially.

Through Floral Wander Loop, Chinese practice DL Atelier integrates literary reference, environmental response, and spatial rhythm into a coherent architectural system. The project translates Su Shi’s reflections on transformation and continuity into built form, using minimal materials and topographical sensitivity. Through its looped circulation, adaptive materiality, and interaction with natural elements, the pavilion establishes a dialogue between historical narrative and contemporary architectural language.

the entrance plaza uses gravel paving, bamboo edges, and minimal seating to create a calm threshold

a circular pavilion at the end contains a floral installation by artist Chen Zhuo

Floral Wander Loop by DL Atelier sits between a road and the Tiegang River in Huizhou, Guangdong Province

the pavilion takes the form of an elongated loop following the flow of both river and road

a series of swings expand along the pavilion’s side and the riverfront

the design creates a rhythmic sequence of compression and release within the bamboo grove

narrow weathering steel modules form a continuous passageway through the grove

each unit, measuring 2.1 by 1.2 meters, is slightly raised on thin steel plates to follow site contours

inside the weathering steel corridor, filtered light and wind shape a tactile experience

a central skylight frames the bamboo canopy above, opening the space to the sky

environmental elements such as rain and sunlight interact with the passage’s narrow apertures and skylight

at the river’s edge, a row of metal-mesh swings marks the final, expansive sequence

project info:

name: Floral Wander Loop
architect: DL Atelier
location: Longtan Town, Huizhou, Guangdong Province, China

photographer: Zhu Yumeng – Coppak Studio | @Yumeng_Zhu_coppakstudio

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 2021, chinese architecture firm DL Atelier initiated the design for Dotsss Children’s Museum, located amidst the scenic lakes and islands of Chengdu‘s Luxelakes. This project aimed to create an ‘iceberg’ for children, encouraging exploration of the world’s deeper mysteries. The design and construction process, initially planned for ten months, extended to two years, balancing static architecture with changing conditions.

Situated in the northwest of Luxelakes, the museum is surrounded by sports and leisure facilities, contributing to a vibrant environment. The project’s dynamic surroundings influenced the design, leading to a building that remains steadfast amidst change. The museum deviates from traditional concepts, focusing on the future and engaging children with diverse spaces and exhibits.

DL Atelier designed the museum with flexibility to adapt to various exhibition needs. The design includes square box spaces that can be modified as needed, ensuring the building’s form remains impactful while maximizing space capacity. The spaces are linked by atriums and outdoor courtyards, creating a fluid and unrestricted visiting experience.

all images by ©Zhu Yumeng – Coppak Studio

DL Atelier designs square box spaces adapting to exhibition needs

The museum’s layout encourages children to explore freely, with interconnected exhibition halls and large windows that connect the interior and exterior. The courtyards act as gateways, allowing visitors to choose their paths through the museum. This design approach aligns with children’s natural tendencies, providing an environment where they can move freely and engage with their surroundings. The cubes are simply laid out following the contours of the site.

To meet the fast-build construction requirements, DL Atelier relocated most equipment to the outdoor rooftop, which is concealed under a tensioned membrane. This semi-transparent membrane creates cascading geometric changes, softening the rigid edges of the cubes and connecting them into a cohesive whole. The white appearance of the building, resembling an iceberg, offers a familiar yet unique architectural experience.

Dotsss Children’s Museum is more than a static space for learning; it is a dynamic educational platform. The museum’s design reflects DL Atelier’s commitment to creating spaces that engage and educate. The museum encourages children to explore and discover, fostering a deeper connection to the world around them.

DL Atelier designs Dotsss Children’s Museum set amidst Chengdu’s Luxelakes

the museum is surrounded by sports and leisure facilities, influencing its design

the design includes square box spaces that adapt to various exhibition needs

the box design maximizes space capacity while ensuring impactful architectural form

courtyards serve as gateways, allowing visitors to choose their paths, aligning with children’s natural tendencies

interconnected halls and large windows connect interior and exterior spaces

the cubes follow the site’s contours, concealed under a tensioned membrane to soften their edges

the tensioned membrane creates geometric changes between the cubes, resembling an iceberg

DL Atelier’s design prioritizes flexibility, ensuring the museum’s adaptability to changing exhibition needs

project info:

name: Dotsss Children’s Museum

architect: DL Atelier
design team: Liu Yang, Sun Xinye, Cai Zhuoqun, Ding Yuewen, Shi Weiwei, Duan Qi

location: Chengdu, China

photography: Zhu Yumeng – Coppak Studio | @Yumeng_Zhu_coppakstudio

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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Chinese architecture firm DL-Atelier designs three interrelated projects for Xiaoxi B&B in Huairou, Beijing, located near China‘s Great Wall. The structures are considered to form rural hotels rather than traditional B&Bs. The architecture aims to create a unique living experience of ‘breaking away from daily life’ and to generate a lifestyle of ‘here and now’ for the visiting users.

The design deviates from the typical ‘home building’, but rather, it resembles a ‘theme park’ that provides a reciprocating game between reality and fantasy. The characteristics of the existing houses stay preserved, while the new extension composed of the three small architectural gestures provokes a sense of ‘danger’ throughout the construction imitating the strong character and heritage of the well-known attraction of the Great Wall built during the Ming Dynasty.

the gap of the footbridge | all images by ©Zhuyumeng unless stated otherwise

historical ruins and chaotic antennas inform the design

‘Chaos is a ladder’ is set under the Great Wall at Erdaoguan Fortress, which, currently in a dilapidated state, is a historically significant site that served as a stronghold for the capital. While remnants of the initial structure, such as scattered bricks and hidden stone foundations, can still be seen on the site, the recent construction of new houses and the explosive emergence of numerous B&Bs in the area has caused significant changes to the village’s appearance. The project site features both historical ruins and a cluster of antennas, hard to overlook. Despite their disorderly arrangement, the two structures share a common aesthetic form of tense formations hovering above the village. While the relationship between the two typologies stands contrasting, one obstructs while the other establishes connections, they occur simultaneously under the same context.

The architectural group draws from the Great Wall’s original intention to showcase a powerful gesture formed to withstand danger and demonstrate a cross over mountains and rivers, to design a footbridge that stands above existing buildings. The homestay interacts intricately with its surrounding environment, separating the structure from the ground level and developing an intertwined link for the tourists and residents as a third entity that connects the Great Wall and the antennas and spans across the buildings.

the structure hovers above the village

wooden structure rests on the existing buildings

The project team maintains the original structure and demolishes the shed that blocked the center of the courtyard. After dredging, the elongated yard gradually descends from west to east in steps. The restaurant on the street side stands half hidden following the terrain, allowing for a more direct view of the Great Wall from within the courtyard, as well as creating visual connections between the indoor and outdoor spaces.

The original building forms a low volume, preserving the initial wooden framework, and the lifted roof on the southern side brings natural light and shadows from the surrounding trees within the structure. The footbridge spans 30 meters in length and is situated above the buildings and courtyard. One side faces the Great Wall on the mountain ridge, and the other side connects to the remains of the city fabric. The once-existing fortress along the ancient road has been replaced by a translucent triangular wooden structure. The large windows on both sides of the sunken restaurant provide a visual continuity between the interior and exterior. The erected tall poles and intertwined antennas entangle the Great Wall and surrounding buildings, while the footbridge interacts with the web in parallel or face-to-face.

the restaurant remains sunken on the streetside

the footbridge is linked with the Great Wall

the footbridge interacts with the antennas

the open courtyard is suitable for outdoor gatherings | image by ©Xiyouji

exterior view of the cladded footbridge | image by ©Xiyouji

the stacked formation in the winter setting

the restaurant overlooks the fortress through large windows | image by ©Xiyouji

project info:

name: Chaos is a ladder
designer: DL-Atelier

architecture/interior/landscape: Liu Yang, Hu Mohuai, Duan Qi, Cai Zhuoqun

structure: Gao Xuemei, Li Ping

location: HuaiRou, Beijing, China

photography: Zhuyumeng – coppak studio  | @yumeng_zhu_coppakstudio – Xiyouji

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DL Atelier presents ‘Harrierfall,’ a thoughtfully-designed rural hotel near China‘s Great Wall at Beijing. The project is created for the local hotel brand Xiaoxi B&B, who sought to create a unique living experience of ‘breaking away from daily life,’ encouraging a ‘here and now’ lifestyle. The contemporary retreat stands as the renovation of a derelict house and its small hutong courtyard, tucked away within the tightly woven fabric of an ancient city nestled into the landscape of Huairou, a rural district north of Beijing. Eaves are allowed to extend outward into this courtyard to create a sheltered corridor, a threshold to the interiors. From here, the Great Wall rises into view atop the looming mountain range.

images © Zhu Yumeng, Xi Youji Studio, DL Atelier

dl atelier’s harrierfall inn blends the old and new

The Harrierfall hotel looks inward to its open-air courtyard, and is transformed with a contemporary materiality by DL Atelier. Its inner facades are shrouded with corrugated and perforated sheet metal, whose hazy expression serves to clarify the background and its textures. Inside, living spaces not shielded by the translucent metal screen open widely onto the courtyard through walls of full height glass and sliding doors — these interiors are shaded by delicate curtains whose appearance mimics the corrugated facades.

the staircase of ancient timber

Embarking on its Harrierfall renovation, the team at DL Atelier looked to the important history of its site, especially the nearby stretch of the Great Wall which dates back to the Ming Dynasty — between the 14th and 17th centuries. The architects describe their view of the Great Wall’s origins: ‘It does not originate from human’s willings to talk to God like the Egyptian pyramids or the Nasca Lines. The Great Wall comes from ‘danger.’ 

The team at DL Atelier sought to integrate this sense of ‘danger’ into the new space. This is best expressed through the exterior stair, which is built using repurposed timber roof trusses sourced from ancient buildings nearby. ‘The climb up the stairs is rather smooth, but people still need to be careful when going downstairs,’ the architects explain. ‘The aging wood blurs the sense of boundary of the stairs, which makes people unable to easily take a step, and also dispels the fear for falling and injuring.’

project info:

project title: Harrierfall Inn

architecture: DL Atelier | @dlatelier_china

location: Huairou, Beijing, China

architecture, interior, landscape: Liu Yang, Ding Yuewen, Hu Mohuai

structure: Gao Xuemei, Li Ping

electricity: Hou Yanming

HVAC: Guo Haifeng

completion: 2021

photography: © Zhu Yumeng, Xi Youji Studio, DL Atelier

The post a contemporary inn is hidden among an ancient city near china’s great wall appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

image by zhai bo (main image by sun haiting)

to ensure privacy from the outside world, DL atelier built a new wall adjacent to the street. this wall includes an almost invisible front door that serves as the entrance to the home. at the top of the otherwise opaque façade is a horizontal window that provides natural light and ventilation. internally, very few partitions are used — a gesture that lends the home an open and spacious quality. throughout, raw materials and surfaces have been left exposed.

‘looking back now, although it’s a new house, it seems to have been built for 50 years,’ concludes the design team. ‘being familiar and strange at the same time, perhaps it’s a memory from future.’ the first role of the interior, which can be readily reconfigured, is to host a small exhibition of DL atelier’s work. see other hutong renovations on designboom here.

image by sun haiting

image by sun haiting

image by zhai bo

image by sun haiting

image by sun haiting

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project info:

location: china, beijing
time: 2016-2019
area: 68 sqm / 732 sqf
design team: DL atelier
team member: liu yang, hu muhuai, liu sisi, bao hui, yang ni, yu tian
photography: sun haiting, zhai bo, zhang yuting, liu yang
materials: brick, wood, metal

The post beijing hutong renovation by DL atelier is ‘familiar and strange at the same time’ appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

all images by sun haiting, zhu yumeng

according to DL atelier, these stepped gardens not only provide places to sit and relax, but the platforms also slow down the pace of guests’ circulation — allowing more time to take in the natural surroundings. accommodating the site’s previously existing trees, the diagonal walls break up the rational order of the original site, creating six outdoor courtyards. as well as being employed for the wall’s formwork, bamboo is also used overhead to shade the courtyards.

each of the four platforms are connected by water. a pink steel channel flows from the back garden to other areas of the site with all four areas filled with the sound of water, either static or moving, blocking the noises from the road. elsewhere, the independent inner courtyard is paved with red brick, while the public platform is paved with black brick. the material selection hopes to fit the surrounding natural mountains as well as the atmosphere of each courtyard.

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project info:

architecture and landscape: DL atelier (liu yang, duan qi, ding yuewen, cai zhuoqun, guo yuqiao）
interior: warming house design (feng wenbo,li ru,chai ling)
photography: sun haiting, zhu yumeng

The post DL atelier uses bamboo-formed concrete walls to divide hotel courtyard in china appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

the structure was designed to contrast the natural setting of the site
all images by sun haiting

lacking the traditional flow found in most museum designs, the architects experimented with the relationship between the space, art, and the viewer. without the implied progression and circulation it becomes a more freeform experience — giving the visitor more freedom to move, look, and draw individual conclusions about the relationships between the porcelain artworks. in a similar fashion to the artworks themselves, the building was constructed with the implication that, over time, the materials will age. the use of rammed earth, titanium zinc panels, and travertine, allows the design to embrace these changes like the ‘fermentation of wine, where time gives it a unique flavor,’ say the architects.  

use of aging materials allows the integrity of the design to be enhanced rather than diminish with time

‘the museum is a visually linear shape, 150 meters long, but the visiting flow is actually nonlinear, visitors will have multiple choices to go,’ describes DL atelier. ‘the purpose is to boost serendipities between people and spaces, we believe architecture can create the atmosphere with which visitors will have personal connections. once built, exhibited items will no long be important, they will act like mirrors, visitors will be reviewing themselves through these items. I believe true arts are the medium to help ourselves to see the true version of ourselves, sometimes clear, others vague, sometimes real, others fake.’

the 150 meter long museum does not have a linear circulation plan

the visitor is meant to find their own path through the space

the visitor’s chosen circulation plan changes the way they interact with the porcelain objects

the architects curated a labyrinth-like experience

the deep colored materials contrast against the porcelain artworks

the museum is located in sanbao village, known for its flourishing porcelain industry

porcelain artists flock to this location from around china to learn the craft

the influx of porcelain artisans causes a highly competitive environment

the design utilizes rammed earth, titanium zinc panels, and travertine

the sanbao village produces unique soil, slightly red clay

local clay was used to create the continuous loam wall 

the museum is located near the chinese city of jingdezheng

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the shared kitchen overlooking the western courtyard
all images © sun haiting

wanting to enforce collective activities, DL atelier has integrated a shared kitchen designed like an open stage facing the courtyard — brightening up during sunny days. its operation table has been purposely shaped as an island for people to cook together. meanwhile, a chef would be facing the audience and leading the session. the eastern sections includes guest rooms with different themes and designs where one can enjoy either the view of mountain or lake from different angles — inviting a sense of serenity and mindfulness. on another hand, spatial voids are interwoven together not only to blur the boundaries of segregation, but also eliminate the distance between people. conceived for multiple users and activities, families and couples are all welcome to stay in the lodge. 

west yard during evening time

in this project, there are not grand architectural narratives or sophisticated construction methods. rather, the studio has opted for local materials such as brick and wood, with appropriate adjustments to the project’s scale and form. in springs, the brick wall becomes covered in climbing plants and wild flowers,  while the courtyard offers guests a sunny and airy escape. in other words, the mountain inn is an ideal hub for aimless, simple leisures that take the mind away from the urban jungle.

the shared kitchen overlooking the western courtyard
east yard view

interior view of the shared kitchen space (west)

the architecture reflects simple, local character with no sophisticated construction or layouts

the east yard offers an open platform towards the mountains

perspective east yard

perspective west yard

master plan

concept diagram 

plan view

project info:

architecture & landscape: dl atelier

architecture: liu yang, sun xinye, lu xuwen, zheng limei

architectural structure: wang chunlei

electrical: hou yanming

heating and ventilation: zheng limei

interior: dl atelier, warming house

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: lea zeitoun | designboom

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