Wutopia Lab has completed a soaring aluminum mountain installation at Luofu Mountain in Huizhou. This structure serves as the exhibition center for the Luofu Mountain Ping An Traditional Chinese Medicine Health Industry Park, a joint project by Ping An Real Estate and Guangzhou Fangyuan Group, called Fushan Cloud House.
The Defining Moment of Seeing the Mountain
On the day I visited the site, heavy rain enveloped the area. I carefully made my way along the ridge, surrounded by a misty downpour that obscured everything, including the legendary Taoist Luofu Mountain, which was just within reach but invisible. The rain grew so intense it became difficult to proceed, forcing us to stand silently, waiting for it to pass. Fortunately, the storm was brief. As the rain ceased, Luofu Mountain, which had vanished without a trace, suddenly emerged. This seemingly miraculous moment shattered the stillness, evoking the timeless feeling shared by poets and travelers throughout history: “Luofu Mountain suddenly appears.”
One Pond and Three Mountains
At this pivotal moment, I stood beside a muddy fish pond that reflected the sudden reappearance of Mount Luofu. Turning my back to Taiping Mountain to the south, a classic image from Chinese garden design came to mind: one pond and three mountains. Inspired by this, I decided to transform the fish pond into Taiye Pond and create an artificial fairy mountain as the exhibition center. Together with Luofu Mountain and Taiping Mountain, this would form a harmonious blend of natural and man-made elements—a true earthly fairyland.
△ Axonometric diagram
An Abstract Artificial Mountain
Drawing on the Taoist origins of Mount Luofu, I chose to use the simplest geometric form—a circle—based on Tai Chi principles to shape the abstract mountain. Attempting to replicate Luofu Mountain’s scale and construction techniques would be impractical. Instead, an abstract artificial mountain made from circles and cones offers an elegant solution. This third mountain itself is composed of three peaks, a miniature representation of the “Big Three Mountains,” inspired by the concept of “three lives and all things.”
The Aluminum Mountain That Transcends Materiality
The shimmering silver aluminum panels are ideal for constructing an abstract artificial mountain. They provide weight and texture without resorting to artificial imitations of soil, stone, or vegetation. However, emphasizing the metal’s density and volume as a mere extension of natural mountains would feel monotonous. Instead, the design aims to dissolve the metal’s mass and texture at certain points, echoing the ethereal nature of Luofu Mountain.
To achieve this, three types of perforated aluminum panels with varying perforation rates—45%, 60%, and 70% from bottom to top—were used, transforming the third mountain into an aluminum mountain. In daylight, it appears as a compressed volume, but from certain angles, it seems to lose its physicality. At night, when illuminated, it transforms into a glowing mountain of light, becoming a truly ethereal presence.
A Mountain That Seems to Hover
The image of Mount Luofu floating among the clouds is unforgettable. For the third mountain, which seemingly emerged from thin air, hovering above the base felt natural. To achieve this effect, all functional spaces were placed underground, while the massive metal roof supported by concrete cylinders forms the mountain above. The underside of the aluminum mountain is lined with luminescent film. When illuminated, the aluminum mountain appears to float effortlessly in midair.
△ Section diagram
Secretly Building Mountains
The floating third mountain is supported by six concrete cylinders, covering a base area of 880 square meters with a maximum overhang of 10 meters. The structural engineer employed 30 tons of steel trusses to craft the three gently undulating peaks hovering above ground. The 11.9-meter-high Mist Sky Ladder, leading to the summit, features a central beam-column design independent of the main structure, spiraling upward from the basement through mist to the mountaintop.
Constructing such a mountain is no easy feat, yet the architects choose not to boast. The essence of Chinese aesthetics lies in the deep thought and discipline that result in an effortless appearance.
Exploring the Mountain
To access the third mountain, I designed a waterway journey. Visitors arrive by car at the circular reception hall at the community entrance, board a red boat at the U-shaped glass-enclosed dock, and leisurely paddle through a floating circular island adorned with flowers. As they glide past blooms and mist, they arrive at the mountain. Upon landing, stairs lead directly to an underground tunnel providing access inside the mountain.
For practical marketing purposes, two additional paths flank the mountain’s east and west sides—one for pedestrians and one for vehicles—winding through the forest to the mountain’s rear entrance. From this vantage point, visitors can overlook the mountain’s base and the water, sensing the gentle breeze. They then enter a large circular sunken courtyard and ascend via a spiral staircase or elevator into the underground mountain interior.
Daishan: The Interior of the Aluminum Mountain
Inside the Aluminum Mountain, architects typically face two choices: either to adorn the space with marble and metal for a luxurious, consumerist feel or to embrace pure white or natural materials like concrete to reject consumerism. I see no hierarchy between these approaches.
That day of suddenly seeing Mount Luofu after the rain, the world resembled an ink painting, with subtle brilliance in the interplay of black, white, and gray. Inspired, I chose a third path—crafting the interior space with black, white, and delicate gray tones that evoke colorful hues.
Within the Aluminum Mountain, spaces continuously transform, capturing the rich textures of ink washes—varying from intense to faint, dry to wet, and charred—skillfully expressing diverse functions and emotions. This embodies the spirit of Daishan inside the Aluminum Mountain.
The Timeless Green Mountains
At Fushan Yunshe, I aim to create a slowed perception of time. Continuous circular forms shape the rippling underground space, housing the foyer, exhibition area, film and television hall, negotiation rooms, model exhibition hall, and art gallery as a central hub, along with support offices and restrooms.
I hope visitors lose their sense of direction and the measurement of time. I dislike how our lives are dictated by clock time, as if life is an arrow speeding towards its end. Instead, within the maze-like layers of nested arcs, time may feel slower, more fluid.
The three-story central model exhibition hall rises through the highest peak of the third mountain. The other two peaks are occupied by a first-floor National Studies Museum and VIP private rooms. A breeze freely sweeps through the layered spaces beneath the third mountain, dissolving daily spatial references and leaving only the sensation of time. This evokes a familiar yet long-forgotten deep memory, untainted by material distractions.
Crossing the Hill
We finally ascended the spiral staircase to the roof—no, the mountaintop—surrounded by swirling clouds and mist from the vapor spray. This was the second peak of the third mountain. Following the mountain path, we reached the highest point of the entire structure.
I once boldly imagined guiding the country from this vantage point, with Luofu Mountain and Taiping Mountain under my control. Yet standing there today, a sense of unease crept in. Life is unpredictable, and the heart finds no resting place. Gazing at the mountains with intensity, the gentle breeze brushing my face brought a soothing calm.
The Third Mountain as Xianshan
The Fushan Cloud House—known as the third mountain—should not become a mere sales center showcasing the park’s offerings, especially since it occupies the blessed land of Luofu Mountain. Instead, it embodies a thoughtful attitude and vision toward life—an ideal sought by contemporary people grappling with the side effects of modern urban culture, including health concerns, educational pressures, and survival anxiety.
Within this symbolic space that harmonizes humanistic care, modern technology, and traditional wisdom, visitors can perceive the spirit of life and find happiness. This is the true meaning of the third mountain: it represents a beautiful life and serves as the real fairy mountain of our era.
△ General layout plan
△ Ground floor plan
△ Underground floor plan
Project Information
Project Type: Exhibition Architecture
Location: Huizhou, China
Interior Design: Wutopia Lab
Area: 2,453 m²
Year: 2020
Photography: CreatAR Images
Manufacturers: Congxiang (OEM), Lidao, Changzhou, Marconi
Lead Architect: Yu Ting
Project Manager: Pu Shengrui
Project Architects: Xu Yunfang, Li Hao
Design Team: Li Ziheng, Pan Dali, Kuang Zhou, Huanghe, Wang Ye (intern), Xu Nan (intern)
Lighting Consultants: Zhang Chenlu, Cai Mingjie
Curtain Wall Scheme Consultant: Florian Rochereau
Construction Drawing Deepening Team: Shanghai Southeast United Engineering Design Co., Ltd.
Indoor Construction Drawing Deepening Team: Shanghai Chengyu Space Design Co., Ltd.
Landscape Team: Shanghai Chengyu Space Design Co., Ltd.
Owners: Ping An Real Estate Co., Ltd., Fangyuan Group
Must log in before commenting!
Sign Up