▲ Yoga Pavilion and Swimming Pool
This project is situated on a terrace at the base of the mountain behind Yangjia Village, adjacent to the Yunlu Hotel. The design emphasizes minimal site leveling to preserve existing vegetation and maximize scenic views. The result is a set of swimming pools and yoga pavilions with nearly equal proportions and areas, aligned parallel to the site, creating a focal high point in the hotel’s spatial sequence.
▲ Aerial View
▲ Aerial View Featuring Japanese Scenery
The architects seamlessly blend the structure with its surroundings by carefully considering light, shadow, breeze, and vistas in both site selection and layout. The ground’s curved boundaries echo the mountain and rock formations, while rugged karst terrain and scattered isolated rocks near the pavilion create an intimate experience of the earth’s vitality. The Yoga Pavilion is a minimalist homage to nature and classical architecture.
▲ Yoga Pavilion and Surrounding Ecology
▲ Yoga Pavilion and Surrounding Ecology
▲ Space Beneath the Yoga Pavilion
A horizontal canopy spanning 24 by 8 meters is supported by curved steel plate walls and A-shaped steel columns. These steel walls integrate storage and fireplace functions. Looking toward the diagonal’s end, the A-shaped columns appear light and simple, subtly blending with the landscape. This visually striking design embodies the connection between yoga practice and beauty, striving for harmony between nature and the self.
▲ Entrance
▲ Model Bird’s-Eye View
▲ Model Facade
▲ Nighttime Bird’s-Eye View
The structure’s support elements are crafted entirely from plain steel plates, with polished weld marks clearly visible, offering distinctive texture and character. The curved steel plate walls are made from 12mm thick plates, with transverse ribs on the rear serving both structural reinforcement and as storage compartments.
▲ Curved Fireplace
▲ Fireplace Interior
The roof features a box girder structure just 30 centimeters high, finished in a futuristic metallic silver-gray. This ingeniously engineered design gives the roof a “floating” appearance, enhancing its lightness. All electrical equipment, lighting fixtures, and ceiling panels are integrated within this slim profile. By varying the cross-sectional area on each side, a lightweight visual effect is achieved. Utilizing the central steel plate’s bearing capacity, six embedded suspension rods are installed through openings for hanging aerial yoga hammocks or wireless lighting. Considering yoga poses that often involve looking upward, the spatial design beneath the roof is particularly thoughtful.
Silver-gray silicon-perforated sand sound-absorbing panels form a suspended ceiling between steel beams, exposing the structural framework while improving acoustic quality. On sunny days, bar-shaped and conical skylights capture shifting light and shadows, creating dynamic visual interest. Embedded ceiling lights emit soft illumination, and at night, their scattered glow resembles a vast starry sky.
▲ Open Yoga Space
▲ Nighttime Yoga Pavilion Under Twinkling Stars
Instead of traditional glass doors and windows, nearly 50 meters of semi-transparent, UV-resistant Sunbrella® fabric curtains enclose the space. The semi-indoor area, sandwiched between silicon-perforated sound-absorbing panels and polished terrazzo, offers panoramic views from the village below to the mountain beyond.
This lightweight fabric, weighing 127 grams per square meter, forms a delicate, ambiguous boundary. The curtains reach up to 3 meters wide and are mounted on curved tracks at varying lengths. Iron chains sewn into the lower edges secure the curtains to strong ground magnets, creating a custom system that resists wind by maintaining a flat surface in light breezes and allowing pressure relief in strong winds, thus preventing damage.
The enclosed space is versatile, suitable for yoga studios, poolside lounges, banquets, or conferences. A curved steel plate fronts the wood-burning fireplace, fostering a cozy atmosphere during winter evening gatherings. The shower area is backed by a washed stone wall, with steep mountain rocks and lush greenery laid out nearby.
▲ Curtain-Enclosed Yoga Space
▲ Semi-Enclosed Yoga Space with Curtain Fabric
▲ Semi-Open Yoga Space with Curtain Fabric
▲ Yoga Space and Pool
The swimming pool matches the yoga pavilion in size. The pool’s entrance is on the east side steps, while the west side is bordered by a solitary stone with a curved edge. A massage pool sits on the east side of the entrance platform, beneath which a 50-square-meter equipment room is located, taking advantage of the site’s elevation changes. The lower terrain features an infinity pool, while the upper area holds a shallow reflective pool. The lower pool offers intimate views of the village, trees, and rocks; the shallow pool near the pavilion provides sights of mountains, clouds, and stars.
▲ Yoga Pavilion and Swimming Pool
▲ Swimming Pool
▲ Massage Pool View
To harmonize with the natural surroundings, the original undisturbed areas of the site were preserved and incorporated into seating steps to create a distinctive tree pool. Despite limited conditions, the design maximizes suitable tree pool areas by restoring soil to its original elevation and coordinating with landscaping efforts. Thanks to close collaboration among the owner, construction team, and landscape consultant, the goal of “tree preservation” was successfully met.
▲ Yoga Pavilion and Swimming Pool
▲ Tree Pool within the Swimming Pool
The pool surface is made of gray-white washed stones, handcrafted with natural materials. Curved underwater steps and seating areas enhance comfort. Spanning over 100 square meters, the pool features multiple corners and spaces for swimming, lounging, and sitting, shaded by trees and rocks. A large, horizontally extended roof overhangs the shallow pool, providing shelter in both sunny and rainy weather. Looking south, the water’s calm ripples reflect bamboo shadows, village scenes, and verdant mountains.
▲ Yoga Pavilion and Swimming Pool
▲ Natural Surroundings
▲ Step Material
▲ Step Material
Project Drawings
▲ General Layout Plan
▲ South Facade
▲ West Facade
▲ Section A-A
▲ Section B-B
▲ Section C-C
▲ Section D-D
▲ Section E-E
▲ Section F-F
▲ Structural Exploded Diagram
▲ Fireplace Technical Diagram
▲ Tree Pool Detail
▲ Roof and Ceiling
▲ Section A-A Ceiling and Curtain Details
▲ Massage Pool Section
▲ Step Handrail Detail
▲ Drainage Ditch Section
▲ Hand-Drawn Sketch of Swimming Pool Tree Pool
▲ Seismic Deformation, Vertical Deformation, and Stress Analysis
▲ Conceptual Model of the Yoga Pavilion
Project Information
Location: Guilin, China
Architectural Design: Liu Yuyang Architectural Firm
Area: 828.0 m²
Year: 2018
Photographer: Tian Fangfang
Lead Architect: Liu Yuyang
Project Architect: Wang Jue
Design Assistant: Chen Weiyi (Performance Model and Construction Coordination)
Interns: Lai Yining, Guan Jiaying (Performance Model); Deng Wenjun, Zhou Chenyan (Preliminary Concept)
Client: Yangshuo Xiyue Yunlu Tourism Resort Co., Ltd
Structural Consultant: Hezuo Structural Architecture Research Institute / Zhang Zhun
Mechanical and Electrical Consultants: Liu Tao, Gu Qing, Yan Zhaojun
Landscape Consultant: Guo Yiyun
Pool Consultant and Construction: Shanghai Lizhi Environmental Technology Co., Ltd
Construction Contractor: Shanghai Zhuohao Decoration Engineering Co., Ltd
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