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As the site of the project is located on the gentle slope facing the valley, our strategy is to make the design as close to the original natural landscape as possible, and to adopt a single construction process with a certain amount of fault tolerance to suit the level of local construction. The natural "stage" shaped like tiger's jaw, the cliff dwellings between the schists, and the rock texture of red folds, etc., are all the references and sources of concept for our design.
We found there once existed the cliff dwelling villages, where they ' use mountain as celling, use stones as floors, use rocks as walls '. We hope the theatre can also reflect relevant experience, and the singers can find the original desire of singing in the mountains. The tiger's jaw shapes and the experience of singing became the beginning of the stage. The wisdom of cliff dwellings among the schists guided the organization of the theater service space. The fit with the texture of the rock wrinkles was also an important reason for our final choice of materials and techniques.
Considering the conditions of construction and sustainability, we ended up using plain concrete with small formwork panels. Under limited conditions, the building is cast in one time, and the facade is completely undecorated, saving time and construction costs. The design demands a relatively low level of raw materials and processing, and both labour and construction materials can be sourced locally, which reduces the overall carbon footprint and contributes further to the protection of the natural environment.
The valley environment of Lianhuayan Cliff provides both opportunities and challenges for the project. After various topographic and geomorphic studies, the project chose the layout where the stage embedded in the upper hills and the stand raised on the lower side to create an experience of singing towards the mountain. As a result, the building, as an extension of the mountains and rocks, has a closer relationship with the landscape, and at the same time also better meets the visual and acoustic needs of the theatre.
Another major challenge for the project is the contradiction between the contemporary design system based on industrialization and the relatively low level of local construction. The rough texture of plain concrete better echoes the surrounding natural environment, and its surface color and texture will also change under the long-term action of weathering, rain and vegetation, gradually becoming an integral part of nature.
The design originated from the "natural reverberation". The architectural space extended from the rocks and the rough concrete surfaces are expected to be visited again many years later. They may become "the nature of reverberation", increasing interaction and communication between people re-establishes an evanescent public cultural connection.
REFLECTION: An important conflict exists in the construction of this project which took only 6 months to build: the conflict between the system based on industrialisation and a relatively backward local construction. In these realities, should the architects guide local construction through an industrial way? Or should the design approach go back to manual construction to adapt to traditions? Perhaps this project does not provide aNanswer, but it brings us a sense of reflection.
Tongji Architectural Design (Group) Co, Ltd. (TJAD) was founded in 1958 and has now developed into one of China's best large-scale design & consulting groups.
The lead architect Zeng Qun is the Vice President, Chief Architect, Professor level Senior Engineer of TJAD., a Chartered Member of the Royal Institute of Architects (RIBA) in the UK, and also serves as a Master's Supervisor and Visiting Judge of Tongji University School of Architecture and Urban Planning.
He has been nominated for the China Architecture Media Award, the first Hong Kong Institute of Architects Cross Strait and Four Regional Architecture Design Gold Award and Excellence Award, and the Taiwan Far East Award nomination. He has also won national and provincial level architectural design awards multiple times. His work has participated in exhibitions such as the Hong Kong/Shenzhen Urban Architecture Biennale, the Milan Triennial in Italy, and the Venice Biennale.
