Background and Venue: Situated within the artistic homestay community of Nankunshan National Forest, this project aims to create a new landscape that bridges tradition and future imagination.
Located in a valley at 800 meters elevation within Nankunshan National Forest Park, the site originally featured five brick-and-wood vacation villas built in the 1990s. These villas were spread with extremely low density, thoughtfully balancing architecture with the surrounding nature. As a public space within this artistic homestay settlement, the new building is designed to accommodate diverse activities such as art exhibitions, brand launches, and dining gatherings, acting as a versatile hub.
Inspired by the herringbone roof, we revisited the original spatial concept of a cave to craft a space that evokes memories while looking towards the future. The roof transforms from its traditional herringbone form into a flowing, cave-like structure, inviting endless possibilities.
Art settlement nestled within the forest
A serene art restaurant embraced by morning mist
The continuously evolving sloping roof floats like a flat boat above the forest, symbolizing boundless imagination for the future.
Topological Evolution of Traditional Forms: Seamless integration of architecture and space
We adopted the existing herringbone roof as a topological prototype to honor the site’s memory. Three herringbone roofs face the lake, forest, and road, respectively, inviting nature into the interior and connecting these views through a continuous, winding roof that appears to float above the forest and lake. This fluid roof naturally creates an internal cavity where natural scenery, water reflections, and human activities coexist in a freely flowing space.
The evolved roof form, while rooted in familiar memory, offers a fresh and unprecedented spatial experience.
Building generation process: From site analysis to indoor space
The herringbone roofs oriented towards the lake, forest, and road integrate gracefully with the site through a lightweight design.
A roof evolved from traditional herringbone design
Courtyard
The building’s interior and exterior forms were developed simultaneously. The multi-directional, dynamic roof creates a continuously evolving interior space. At the heart of the floor plan, a spiral staircase connects the upper and lower levels, embodying the flow of human activity within the space. The undulating ceiling, paired with artistic textures, evokes the atmosphere of a natural cave.
Various activities take place under a unified roof
The continuously evolving exterior form is transformed into the interior space
A continuous roof complements the uninterrupted landscape
The spiral staircase serves as a dynamic focal point within the space
Entrance space where the exterior curved wall flows seamlessly indoors
Quiet, intimate dialogue space
Materials
The titanium zinc plate tiles honor tradition while representing contemporary aesthetics. The dark gray roof lends the building a stable and restrained presence within its environment. Inside, gray artistic texture paint creates a cave-like atmosphere, weaving together light, water reflections, and the surrounding forest landscape.
Conclusion
Since its completion, the Nankun Secret Art Restaurant has hosted numerous events, attracting visitors and officials from surrounding towns and villages. Its enthusiastic reception demonstrates that the restaurant is much more than a dining venue. It functions as a multifunctional space for exhibitions, performances, dining, and leisure—a shared platform fostering interaction between locals and urban visitors.
A theater-like shared space for communication
First floor plan
Second floor plan
Section diagram
Project Information
Project Name: Nankun Secret Art Restaurant
Owner: Huizhou Aishu Culture and Tourism Investment Development Co., Ltd
Designer: Guangzhou Outer City Architectural Design Co., Ltd
Company Website: www.ual-studio.com
Contact Email: __AI_S_SC0__
Design Team: Chen Jieqi, Lin Wangming, Shen Yingying, Weng Yanhua, Huang Yiyuan, Chen Zhenhui
Lighting Design: Guangzhou Hengguang Design Co., Ltd
Construction Team: Guangdong Dexin Zhongcheng Construction Engineering Co., Ltd
Photography Copyright: Chao Sheng @ Anson
Design & Completion Time: October 2019 to October 2020
Project Location: Nankunshan National Forest Scenic Area, Huizhou City, Guangdong Province
Project Scale: 352.5 square meters
Main Materials: Titanium zinc plate tiles, art cement paint, high-density corrugated board
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