Creating Fertile Ground to Amplify the Voice of Rural Revitalization
Louis Koon once said, “The school began when a person shared their wisdom with a few others under a tree. The teacher didn’t realize they were a teacher, and those listening didn’t see themselves as students. These students wished for their children to hear such wisdom too, so a space was built, and the first school was born.” In Tiangang Zhixing Village, the concept of a “rural lecture hall” embodies this original meaning of ‘school.’ It stands as both a declaration by its creators and an act of reflection. Here, the roles of ‘teacher’ and ‘learner’ can interchange freely. The space is designed to feel like ‘under a tree’ — a simple, open shelter that fosters freedom and community.
01 Preparing the Ground
“Preparing the ground well” is a core principle for Kanlan and guides the development of Tiangang Zhixing Village. The Rural Lecture Hall is situated by the river, positioned between the residential area and the village’s entrance. The architect intentionally designed it as a “lecture hall,” aiming to bridge the outside world with the villagers. It serves to share proven values and methodologies in rural revitalization, enabling villagers to envision the new futures that innovative design and industries can bring.
△ Shape Analysis Diagram
The architects use the building’s form as a metaphor: they lift a patch of grass from the countryside, curling it like a carpet to create the structure. This reveals the soil beneath the greenery, emphasizing the building’s connection to the rural landscape. The exterior “rolled” side is clad mainly with wooden tiles and topped with a sloping roof to protect against wind and rain. Inside, wood covers the roof, curled wall, and floor, linking the new structure to the village’s traditional textures and memories, allowing it to blend seamlessly into its natural setting as if organically emerging from the earth.
The landscaping echoes the architectural design. A wooden deck runs along the back edge of the site, enclosing the Rural Lecture Hall’s boundary. During the “lifting” process, the architect preserved a tree by leaving a circular opening in the floor. Correspondingly, the roof above features another circular hole aligned with the tree’s position, allowing it to grow through the building. These two trees, paired with the circular openings on both roof and ground, symbolize the concept that the roof is lifted from the earth. This design not only integrates nature into the structure but also reflects the essence of a “school,” marking the beautiful beginning of this lecture hall space.
Facing the road, the blue structure opens into a ‘jigsaw puzzle’ of wood and grass. The wooden deck intermittently connects with the roadway, folding into stairs and seating, rising as signage, or leaving space for trees and landscaping features. Lush plants and trees weave through the deck and exposed soil, symbolizing the vibrant revival of Tiangang Zhixing Village.
02 The Suspended Box
Once the “lifting” form is complete, the building takes shape as a unified whole. Apart from the curved wall, the blue structure features expansive floor-to-ceiling glass walls. Weather-resistant steel brackets protrude at the northern and eastern entrances, adding both function and durability.
Inside, Kanlan Architecture has installed a curved bench that gives the uniquely shaped space functional value. The large open area supports diverse meeting formats, while two bar counters help to disperse crowds during large events, ensuring a steady tea break service. Essentially, the Rural Lecture Hall is a transparent glass box. Within it, the architect has crafted a wooden “inner box” housing bathrooms, monitoring rooms, and equipment, set slightly apart from the ceiling. This design prevents the discomfort of high ceilings in smaller rooms and creates a visual suspension between the inner and outer boxes, as if the building is gently resting on the ground.
At the junction between structural columns and roof, Kanlan Architecture ingeniously carved grooves around the columns’ tops to embed lighting strips. When lit, these create a halo effect that visually separates the column heads from the roof, enhancing the building’s suspended appearance. This detail adds a sense of surprise throughout the lecture hall experience. The main indoor lighting features strip lights embedded within the roof and curved walls, mirroring the outdoor ‘puzzle’ landscape indoors.
03 Letting ‘Rural Revitalization’ Speak
In the fast pace of urbanization, people tend to rely on rigid “rules” and lose sight of the “way.” Rural areas, increasingly influenced by architectural development, still offer a pure, natural, self-sufficient, and untamed environment. The Countryside Lecture Hall draws inspiration from this essence, using curves and glass to soften—and sometimes eliminate—the constraints of traditional walls. This design invites people to immerse in nature’s cues and encourages independent, spontaneous action—much like the original schools that began under trees. The Blue Architecture team hopes that this Rural Lecture Hall, and the activities it hosts, will plant the seeds of rural revitalization in Tiangang Zhixing Village and spark a wildfire of renewal.
Project Drawings
△ Plan View
△ Roof Plan
△ Elevation Drawing
△ Elevation Drawing
△ Elevation Drawing
△ Section Diagram
△ Section Diagram
△ Wooden Tile Arrangement
Project Information
Project Name: Countryside Lecture Hall
Location: Tiangang Village, Yixian County, Baoding City, Hebei Province
Project Type: Architectural Design, Interior Design
Status: Completed
Owner: Yuange Group
Design Team
Lead Architect: Zou Yingxi
Architectural Designers: Jiang Zhihua, Han Yang, Tian Yahong, Nan Wenjing
Interior Designers: Xia Fuqiang, He Min, Cao Zhenzhen, Qian Guoxing, Liu Tingting, Li Qianqian, Feng Yan, Guo Mengjia, Li Hui
Soft Decoration Designers: Shu Kun, Gu Yuecheng
Landscape Designers: Li Beibei, Zhang Junchao, Liu Shuang, Liang Jingqi, Shi Qingqing
Design Period: February – May 2020
Construction Period: May – October 2020
Site Area: 800 square meters
Building Area: 406.2 square meters
Construction Company: Zhongwai Jianhuacheng Engineering Technology Group Co., Ltd. – Chen Zhinu Team
Structural Engineer: Beijing Zhonghe Jiancheng Construction Engineering Design Co., Ltd. – Lu Lijie Team
Photography: Literal Translation of Architectural Photography
Materials and Suppliers
1. Shanghai Hongsen Wood Industry Red Cedar Wooden Tiles
2. Shanghai Hongsen Wood Industry Pineapple Grid Anti-Corrosion Wood
3. Weather-resistant Steel Plates
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