Facilities that Meet Local Needs and Have Future Prospects

Lin architecture unveils Concrete Pavilion, a pumping station in the countryside outside of Eryuan Botou Village, in Yunnan, China. Outside of the village, a beautiful field cleanses the ears and eyes with chirping frogs in the rice bushes, the whirling of the rice stalks, and the dripping of the light rain. As far as the eye can see, there are rolling meanders, both of the mountains and of the rice paddies. However, looking down from the opposite side of the hill, the fields are a different story, with canals and paths dividing the fields into various shaped fragments that are quite distinctive.

front view
Photo credit: chen zhitong

bird view
Photo credit: zhu hongduo

bird view -fall
Photo credit: chen zhitong

It is the task of the museum to make use of the identity of the space to provide villagers and tourists with both endless views and the fragmented views of the fields at the same time. In recent history, very few buildings have dotted the landscape of the field, other than a small pump house, the predecessor of the concrete pavilion, where villagers used to collect water and electricity.

front view -sunny
Photo credit: zhuo hongduo

Multiple Identities of the Pump House

In the context of a new round of rural construction, many basic designs and public houses in the village are seeking a breath of new life. In addition to meeting the daily needs of villagers for water and electricity for irrigation, the pump house has its own identity to consider. In approaching the design process, the designers endeavored to interpret these identities from different perspectives.

front detail
Photo credit: zhuo hongduo

handmade model
Photo credit: lin architecture zhou yanyang

Symbol

The extreme abstraction of cultural elements from the surrounding villages, and then translated to the thickness of the space, is the means of manipulating the symbols; the dialogue between the architectural space and the environment, and the dialogue with the villagers and tourists, is a symbolic metaphor of the symbols.

side view-winter
Photo credit: zhuo hongduo

side view-fall
Photo credit: chen zhitong

side view-fall
Photo credit: chen zhitong

Form

Sloping roofs, shadow walls, high and low windows, platforms, ascending steps, and skylight holes are just some of the village's countless architectural elements which, through changes and extensions, have translated into the juxtaposed architectural symbols in the space, placed in the field and accommodating the various elements.

side view
Photo credit: chen zhitong

front view -spring
Photo credit: chen zhitong

top view -fall
Photo credit: chen zhi tong

Space

The exterior of the form is symbolic for villagers and possesses a certain integrity. Whether setting out for the fields early in the morning, or returning with the hoe in the evening, the stylized shape is a a static guide. On the way to ploughing in the field, the villagers read its image in different states. The interior of the space is chopped up, guided by a large staircase space that extends out into the interior and sides of the space. The skylight was designed to add interest to the exploration and is as much a medium for external observation as the platform.

sky light
Photo credit: zhuo hongduo

passageway
Photo credit: zhuo hongduo

sky light
Photo credit: zhuo hongduo

side window
Photo credit: zhuo hongduo

sky light
Photo credit: zhuo hongduo

Dialogue with the Four Seasons in the Field

In Yunnan, the weather in the fields is unpredictable, with rain pouring or falling throughout the day through ever-colorful seasons. Acts of nature add gestures to the skin of the building, making the façade a paintbrush in the field. Thick clouds reflect on the walls, contrasting with the pristine white. On sunny days, radiant sunlight shines on the material, and the texture of the skin becomes visible. When it rains, the skin of the material becomes a canvas for the sky.

top view
Photo credit: zhuo hongduo

site over view
Photo credit: chen zhitong

side view -winter
Photo credit: zhuo hongduo

Materials

Considering the problem of clarification and settlement of the farmland land, the main steel structure and concrete hanging boards were chosen for the finish. The steel structure has three layers to meet the needs of shaping different types of spaces, and the skin is made of concrete panels to reflect the interaction with environmental elements.

front view-fall
Photo credit: chen zhitong

handmade model
Photo credit: lin architecture zhou yanyang

LIN architecture

LIN architecture is a cutting-edge design and research institution in Asia, dedicated to space research, design, and education. The creative field of the studio covers architecture, urban, landscape, interior, plane, interactive technology, cultural communication, design education, and virtual construction. Creative media includes publications, exhibitions, videos, and other media arts.