Project Background
Located within Wuxiangshan National Forest Park in Lishui District, Nanjing City, this site boasts lush vegetation and stunning natural scenery. On one side, it is bordered by winding mountain roads and towering water fir forests, while the other side features a continuous mountain range blanketed with bamboo groves.
To meet the needs of scenic area development and renewal, the original office space of the forest farm squadron is planned for reconstruction, expanding its functions to include small-scale retail, tourist information, and rest areas. This transformation will establish the location as a key node station for park management and tourism. From the outset, the client requested that the design take inspiration from a courtyard layout as its operational prototype.
Given these initial conditions, the design challenges focused on organizing internal and external functions, integrating the courtyard concept with surrounding spaces, and achieving a seamless harmony with the natural environment.
Design Approach
The design process began by integrating a fixed spatial layout with functional requirements. The structure is divided into two L-shaped sections based on the volume of the Hui-shaped courtyard. One section houses internal spaces primarily for office use, while the other caters to tourist services.
Both sections feature L-shaped sloping roofs with raised corners that interlock and spiral inward, forming eaved corridors around the courtyard. This arrangement results in a roof structure that reflects traditional forest architecture with layered stacking at the front and rear.
△ Original appearance of the site
The design emphasizes a landscape platform that gently rises to conceal walls, paired with staggered, folding roofs that form the core of the spatial organization. Together with the backdrop of the mountain, these elements retreat and overlap in layers, compensating for the site’s mountain topography and creating a hierarchy of foreground, midground, and distant views. This layering enhances the integration of the building with its natural surroundings.
By crafting this physical relationship, the building’s facade becomes visually unobtrusive. Visitors perceive the structure as a terraced landscape that follows the terrain, crowned by layered roofs that seem to extend and float.
The design incorporates skylights as key features to vary interior lighting and guide spatial flow. Flat skylights and trapezoidal openings are placed near entrances and public areas to bring in natural daylight, effectively orienting visitors even when the facades are subdued. Lateral skylights illuminate functional spaces such as offices and dining rooms, balancing lighting needs while minimizing direct sunlight exposure.
Construction Strategy
With a tight construction schedule and variable site conditions, the design incorporates strategies to mitigate potential challenges. The building employs a conventional concrete frame structure, with a large gap between the roof and ceiling to accommodate structural height variations, construction tolerances, and mechanical equipment space.
For materials, the roof and landscape terrace—key visual elements—feature a layered combination of blue tiles and rubble. High-precision glass and window sills are intentionally recessed into shadows created by these materials, ensuring a refined texture that complements the natural environment despite construction limitations.
Final Thoughts
The building’s extended spaces soften its overall mass, while gaps between eaves and terraces frame views that focus attention on the surrounding greenery, creating an environment untouched by nearby roads. This relay station, blending traditional atmosphere with a modern spatial experience, nestles harmoniously within the mountains and forests, intertwined with nature.
Project Drawings
△ Project Model
△ Project Model
△ Plan View
△ Elevation Drawing
△ Section Diagram
△ Frame Scene Schematic Diagram
Project Information
Project Name: Wuxiangshan Qiuhu Station
Location: Wuxiangshan National Forest Park, Lishui District, Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province
Architectural Firm: Misi Architecture
Design Team: Wu Ziye, Ni Siyuan, Zhou Suning, Tang Tao, Peng Bin, Xin Yu (Intern)
Construction Drawing Design: Jiangsu Construction Engineering Design and Research Institute Co., Ltd
Construction Drawing Team: Zhuang Fang, Chen Juan, Chen Kai, Fan Haoliang, Wang Kaihui, Zhang Zhenyu, Wu Yajun, Dai Zhengqing
Design Period: June 2020
Completion: June 2021
Building Area: 977 square meters
Photography: Lv Xiaobin
Text by: Wu Ziye
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