Building beautiful rural communities involves protecting the ecological environment, allowing residents to enjoy views of mountains and water. While emphasizing architectural form and style, it is equally important to cultivate cultural identity and preserve nostalgia. This has led to the emergence of rural memory museums, which safeguard local customs, historical memories, and cultural heritage. These museums act as living spaces within their original environments, serving as communal gathering spots for villagers and places of interaction for visitors.
The Qiheshan Village Living Room is situated in Shushi Village, Chang’an Town, Fuyang, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province. Nestled among green mountains, the Huyuan River meanders in a large S-shape through the village. This area is known as the “habitat of cranes” and the “Taiji Village of mountains and waters”. In recent years, the local government has preserved the traditional village layout while enhancing environmental quality, aiming to transform a former industrial village into a picturesque countryside characterized by blue skies, white clouds, green hills, and flowing water.
The rural living room was adapted from an old auditorium located at the village center. Originally a two-story wooden building of 600 square meters built in the 1960s and 1970s, it featured a sun-drying yard on the south side, traditionally the main public gathering spot. The west and south sides offer picturesque views of patchwork farmland and distant mountains and forests that resemble green screens.
The project preserves the original wooden structure, including the beams, columns, and trusses, reinforcing and elevating them while demolishing and rebuilding other parts. The naturally bent, staggered beams and columns carry the weight of history, becoming the most profound “memories” within the space.
Maintaining the auditorium’s characteristic high and open space, skylights were introduced into the previously dim roof to bring in natural sunlight. This design blurs the boundaries between indoor and outdoor spaces, breathing new life into the interior.
▲ Exploded axonometric diagram
To meet functional needs, a new space was added to the south, enclosed by transparent floor-to-ceiling glass walls. The extended eaves continue the original architectural style, creating a harmonious dialogue between the old and new, the building and its surroundings.
On the west side of the main entrance, the original sloped roof, shaped like a human figure, extends to form an open porch. Beneath the porch hang three to five bamboo lattice panels, accompanied by an L-shaped reflective water pool and low pebble walls. This creates a transitional space rich in character, reflecting the local charm of Jiangnan. The wide eaves frame the distant mountain views, while the shallow pool mirrors the surrounding scenery. Through the curtain-like bamboo panels, one can glimpse smoke rising from villagers’ homes across the lotus pond—an intimate scene capturing the essence of rural life.
The exterior space retains the original square yard on the south side, supporting farmers’ daily activities and events within the living room. Adjacent rice fields to the west have been transformed into a lotus pond landscape featuring a hidden Tai Chi pattern. Beyond the pond, large areas of peach trees have been planted. From the square, visitors enjoy an extended view reaching a small village stream, creating a themed local landscape corridor for the rural living room.
▲ Plan view
▲ Plan view
Project Information:
Designer: Landscape Architecture Design and Research Institute of China Academy of Art
Location: Chang’an, Fuyang, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, China
Category: Exhibition Architecture
Lead Designers: Huang Zhiyong, Shen Le
Architectural Design Team: Lai Han, Qin Mengjiang
Building Area: 600.0 m²
Year Completed: 2016
Photographer: Aoguan Architectural Vision
Interior Design Team: Ding Tianliang, Yang Jian, Huang Xiaofeng, Wu Yanhua
Landscape Design Team: Zheng Ruokan, Xie Qiming
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