In rural Chinese villages, aging populations and rapid rural exodus continues to be an increasingly pressing issue. These pavilions, designed in collaboration with China based Studio Practice on Earth, are part of an effort to rekindle interest in remote farmlands and create spaces for young and old, local villagers, and visitors alike. They represent an exploration of agrotourism as a potential solution to rural decline, offering a promising avenue for economic diversification, community revitalization, and the renewal of rural identity.
Down in the Clouds' includes three pavilions: a Cafe, a Reading Room, and a Film Room located among the rice paddies of Xiangshan, China.
Inspired by Hans Hemmert's playful inflatable art installations, these pavilions play with unfamiliarity in scale and material.
Each pavilion is constructed with container structures and inflatables, representing a playful tension between the lightness of inflatables and the heaviness of steel structures.
Project Name: Down in the Clouds
Project Type: Renovation / Rural Construction / Installation
Project Location: Zhouzhuang Town, Kunshan City, Jiangsu Province
Completion Date: April 2024
Site Area: 150㎡
Building Area: 290㎡
Design Firms: Practice on Earth (Design and Construction) + Increments Studio (Design)
Design Team: Wu Haotian, Wang Yun, Hu Liang, Naomi Ng, Lü Yancheng
Client: Dunao Village Shareholding Economic Cooperative, Sizhoutou Town, Xiangshan County
Operator: Ningbo Xiangwang Cultural Tourism Co., Ltd.
Inflatable Structure Manufacturer: Shanghai Congxi Amusement Equipment
Local Construction Team: Huang Lunyuan, Wang Haihua, Master Song, and others
Container Manufacturer: Ye Zhongdong Team
Master Plan: Zhejiang Digital Space Planning and Design Co., Ltd.
Photography Copyright: Wang Yun
