▲ “Stacked Courtyard” © Zhan Changheng
This project is situated in the Xishan District of Kunming City, within an urban park in the Caohai area. It lies adjacent to Dayu Road and near the Hangrui Expressway, with Mianshan to the north and Caohai to the south. The surrounding residential neighborhoods are densely populated, making this park a natural gathering spot for local residents to enjoy leisurely strolls.
▲ Project Location © XAA Architecture Firm
The site contains a traditional one-bay double-eaved gable attic style building. Upon investigation, it was identified as the Wenxing Building, constructed during the Qing Dynasty and recognized as a local cultural heritage landmark. Although the original structure has lost its function and appears quite dilapidated, its scale and form harmonize well with the surrounding environment. The local community often gathers here spontaneously for cultural worship activities.
▲ Original Condition of Wenxing Building © XAA Architecture Firm
The client commissioned us to expand the Wenxing Building into a park facility that supports the renovated environment and parkland, serving as a gathering place for local scholars and residents. The Wenxing Tower is oriented north-south, with its axis parallel to Dayu Road. Using this spatial alignment, the renovated tower serves as the central axis and visual endpoint. The design employs the concepts of “stacked courtyard” and “stacked construction” to organize the site into three distinct courtyards: the “Stone Courtyard,” the “Grass Courtyard,” and the “Water Courtyard.”
▲ Architectural Layout with Wenxing Tower as Visual Anchor © Zhan Changheng
The “Stone Courtyard” functions as the front yard, featuring a facing courtyard that continues traditional architectural elements. The design abstractly incorporates the curved eaves of Wenxing Tower and typical Yunnan residential styles, gradually raising the eaves to form the main entrance of the new building.
▲ Main Entrance with Raised Eaves © Prism Landscape Photography
The traditional Lu Ban lock, a layered interlocking wooden joint system, is reimagined here using a combination of steel and wood under the eaves. This structure serves as both the courtyard dome and a landscape frame, outlining the silhouette of Wenxing Tower.
▲ Framing the View of Wenxing Building © Prism Landscape Photography
▲ Door Courtyard Installation Details © Zhan Changheng
Passing through the gate leads to the “Grass Courtyard,” a grassy meadow enclosed by a circular corridor. Around this central space, various main functional areas are arranged. The courtyard is lined with lush green trees, and the eaves vary in height, creating an engaging visual rhythm.
▲ View of the “Grass Courtyard” from the Circular Corridor © Zhan Changheng
▲ Undereaves Space © Zhan Changheng
▲ Staggered Eaves at Varying Heights © Zhan Changheng
Further inside is a water feature, the Three Entrance Courtyard Water Garden. Visitors can sit by the pool and enjoy views across the water to the Wenxing Tower.
▲ View Across the Water Toward Wenxing Tower © Zhan Changheng
▲ “Shuiyuan” Space © Zhan Changheng
▲ View of the Renovated Wenxing Tower from the Circular Corridor Overlooking the Pool © Zhan Changheng
The three courtyards are arranged in a progressive and layered sequence—from the entrance through to the atrium, and finally to the Wenxing Building—creating a sense of depth and ceremony consistent with traditional architectural principles.
▲ Buildings Appearing to Float on the Pool © Zhan Changheng
The east and south edges of the site serve as key urban display fronts. Along the city roads, a forested buffer zone has been created to separate the park from the urban environment, with landscaped connections linking to the city.
▲ Buildings within the Park © Zhan Changheng
▲ Buildings within the Park © Zhan Changheng
A wooden installation, constructed from stacked well shafts, rises at the corner above the water pool. This “corner tower” serves as both a landmark feature of the building complex and a cultural totem installation in the urban public space, visually echoing the Wenxing Tower in the distance.
Corner Tower over the Pool © Prism Landscape Photography
▲ Layered Light and Shadow on the “Corner Tower” Installation in Sunlight © Prism Landscape Photography
Inspired by traditional local wooden architecture and black-tiled roofs, the exterior of the building complex features wood and dark gray tones. Glass is used to blur the boundaries of the exterior walls at a human scale, creating a facade that invites citizens to perceive interior activities. This design fosters an interaction and visual overlap between the urban streetscape and indoor spaces.
▲ Transparent Architectural Interface © Zhan Changheng
Inside, the design continues with wood as the dominant material, complemented by dark gray metal accents that evoke a refined cultural atmosphere.
▲ Elegant Indoor Spaces © Zhan Changheng
The entire new building complex maintains strict control over its volume, featuring wide and low extending eaves that create a comfortable scale. The height of the new roofs is limited to 7.3 meters below the Wenxing Building’s roof, demonstrating respect for the historic structure through careful axis alignment, sightlines, and scale control.
▲ Comfortable Corridor Space © Zhan Changheng
▲ Strictly Controlled Building Volume © Zhan Changheng
▲ Dialogue Between New and Historic Structures © Prism Landscape Photography
▲ Dialogue Between New and Historic Structures © Prism Landscape Photography
Project Drawings
▲ General Layout Plan
▲ Northeast and Northwest Building Elevations
▲ Wooden Structural Details
▲ Front View of Wooden Installation
▲ Side Elevation View of Wooden Installation
Project Information
Project Name: Kunming Caohai Wenxinglou Park Project
Architectural Team: Zhan Tao Studio, XAA Architecture Firm
Lead Architect: Zhan Tao
Design Team: Tian Wang, Yang Tao, Wang Yan, Lin Shuo, Fan Mingfeng
Project Location: Xishan District, Kunming City, Yunnan Province
Design Period: February 2022
Completion Date: July 2022
Land Area: 42,300 square meters
Building Area: 2,000.58 square meters
Photography: Jiuli Architecture Zhan Changheng, Prism Landscape Photography
Construction Drawings: Guangzhou Hanhua Architectural Design Co., Ltd
Landscape Design: Chongqing Daohe Landscape Planning and Design Co., Ltd
Interior Design: Guangzhou Yanyutang Decoration Design Company
Flood Lighting Design: Guangzhou Kebai Lighting Engineering Design Co., Ltd
Curtain Wall Design: Shenzhen Anxing Construction Group Co., Ltd
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