Situated at the southwest corner of Nanliang Site Park in Haidong City, Qinghai Province, the Haidong City Urban Planning Exhibition Hall serves multiple purposes, including planning exhibitions, tourism reception, and site displays. The ruins of Nanliang—the ancient capital from the era of the Sixteen Kingdoms—lie along the main axis of Ledu District, Haidong City. The Nanliang Site Park, designed by the Chinese Academy, is thoughtfully divided into distinct zones: a site exhibition area, a citizen activity area, an underground commercial zone, along with a planning exhibition hall and supporting landscape features. Collectively, these elements form the “central park” anchoring Haidong City’s core.
Guided by the principle of preserving historical heritage within the park, the design minimizes the building’s visual impact above ground. It seamlessly connects the heritage site, enriching visitors’ experience. Inspired by the “root system” growing underground, the building is artfully embedded within the earth’s landscape. Boardwalks, stairs, and ramps spread and intertwine across the site, forming a temporal and spatial narrative that invites visitors from all directions to converge. These pathways, overlaid with local materials, evoke a sense of walking through history, immersing visitors step by step.
Main Horizontal Space
The building’s primary volume consists of multiple square halls inspired by the traditional square courtyard style of Qinghai Province’s residential “Zhuang Kuo.” These halls are flexibly stacked, twisted, and shifted to create an abstract geometric settlement cluster.
Vertical Space
The sunken courtyard design creates a layered and organic roof hierarchy. This arrangement allows visitor spaces to be situated at varying elevations, defining the building’s unique presence on the landscape.
Spiritual Space
Rising from the underground exhibition hall, the observation tower features a perforated stainless steel exterior and extends through a transparent skylight to a height of 20 meters. This tower resembles a watchtower, symbolizing the building’s aspiration to “reach towards the sky.”
Material Palette
The building’s exterior walls are clad with horizontal, strip-shaped ceramic panels finished in rammed earth tones, echoing the traditional Zhuangkou earth walls. The site’s paving features locally sourced Huangshui River stone aggregates, reflecting the rugged character of the plateau valley.
Scale Management
From the street corner square elevation, all constructed “walls” are strictly kept below eye level, preserving an expansive view and the sense of historical depth. This approach helps the building to harmoniously extend into its surroundings.
Summary
This project explores how architecture can simultaneously ground itself, ascend towards the sky, and extend into its environment through contemporary regional design strategies. The network of boardwalks, covered bridges, and wall-like structures offer immersive experiences that evoke tracing roots, climbing to new heights, and visiting exhibitions and gardens.
Danxia reflects the mountains, the lingering sun journeys along the path, the long walls are intricately carved, and time leaves its shadows behind.
Project Drawings
△ Building Generation Diagram
△ Functional Zoning Diagram
△ General Plan of the Park
△ General Plan of the Planning Museum
△ Underground Floor Plan
△ First Floor Plan
△ Second Floor Plan
△ Section Diagram
△ Section Diagram
△ Elevation Drawing
△ Elevation Drawing
Project Details
Architect: China Academy of Architectural Design and Research
Area: 25,000 square meters
Year of Completion: 2022
Photographer: Wang Ziling
Lead Architects: Cui Haidong, Wang Liyang
Design Team: Li Man, Dong Yaqiu
Structural Design Team: Guo Tianhan
MEP Design: Tang Zhiwen, Wang Cunfeng; HVAC: Han Wusong, Song Zhanshou; Electrical: Li Lei, Shen Jin
Interior Design: Cao Yang, Zhang Yangyang
Landscape Design: Zhao Wenbin, Lu Lu, Wang Hongtao, Sun Hao
Curtain Wall and Lighting Design: Zhejiang Zhongnan Construction Group Co., Ltd
Project Manager: Jiwei Xu
Principal: Haidong City Urban Development and Construction Investment Co., Ltd
Architectural Design Company: China Academy of Architectural Design & Research Co., Ltd. – Pinzhu Design Studio
Construction Contractor: Shaanxi Huacui Road and Bridge Engineering Co., Ltd
Location: Haidong City
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