tubular concrete ring by HCCH studio shapes cycling rest pavilion among chinese hills

concrete ring pavilion forms a cycling rest stop in Mount Luofu

Resting Loop with Views is a small pavilion project by HCCH Studio located on a stone platform within the mountainous landscape of Mount Luofu, China. Positioned between a highway and a parallel river, the site previously functioned as a buffer zone and informal parking area at a sharp roadway curve. The project redefines this residual space as a rest stop and viewing point for cyclists, providing facilities for bicycle parking and refreshments while establishing a new spatial relationship with the surrounding landscape.

The pavilion takes the form of a circular concrete ring elevated above a sunken plaza. This donut-shaped structure has an outer diameter of approximately 16 meters and is intersected by a series of vertical cuts that create oval openings oriented toward different views. These openings overlap spatially, framing perspectives of the river, surrounding hills, and sky. The design organizes two levels of circulation: a lower level that accommodates seating and café-related activities, and an upper level that functions as a continuous looped promenade offering elevated views across the site.

Resting Loop with Views sits on a stone platform within the landscape of Mount Luofu | image by ArchExist

HCCH Studio uses bamboo to cast the concrete ring’s exterior

Shanghai-based practice HCCH Studio positions three supporting concrete volumes within the sunken plaza beneath the ring. These house a small café, a public restroom, and a storage space. Openings in the volumes are aligned to create visual connections between interior and exterior spaces, reinforcing spatial continuity across the site. The volumes are finished with a dark, hammered surface that visually relates to the stone paving of the plaza and to sculptural seating elements, ‘Social Stone,’ by artist SU Chang.

Material treatment plays a key role in articulating the pavilion’s relationship to its natural context. The exterior surface of the concrete ring was cast in situ using bamboo-textured formwork, with raised bamboo sections approximately 7 centimeters in diameter. This textured finish references local vegetation and introduces a tactile quality to the exterior. In contrast, the interior surface of the ring is smooth and continuous, producing a more abstract spatial experience. The transition between these two finishes is emphasized along the edges of the oval openings, where irregular profiles accentuate the contrast between texture and smoothness.

the pavilion occupies a former buffer zone between a highway and a parallel river | image by ArchExist

Although initially conceived as a quiet intervention within the mountainous landscape, the pavilion has become a popular stop for cyclists and visitors. Its visibility from the roadway and its elevated views have transformed the former buffer zone into an active public space that accommodates movement, rest, and observation within the creekside environment.

previously used as informal parking, the site has been redefined as a rest stop for cyclists | image by ArchExist

the donut-shaped structure measures approximately 16 meters in outer diameter | image by ArchExist

the project introduces a viewing point that connects infrastructure with landscape | image by ArchExist

vertical cuts slice through the ring to create oval openings oriented toward key views | image by ArchExist

the openings frame perspectives of the river, surrounding hills, and sky | image by ArchExist

overlapping cutouts generate layered sightlines and spatial depth | image by ArchExist

the design organizes circulation across two distinct levels | image by Fangfang Tian

the exterior concrete surface is cast using bamboo-textured formwork | image by Fangfang Tian

the upper level functions as a continuous looped promenade | image by Fangfang Tian

a smooth interior finish contrasts with the textured exterior along the oval edges | image by Fangfang Tian

three concrete volumes are positioned beneath the ring within the sunken plaza | image by Fangfang Tian

HCCH Studio’s ring pavilion has become an active public stop for cyclists and visitors | image by Fangfang Tian

the lower level accommodates seating and café-related activities | image by Fangfang Tian

openings align across the volumes to create visual continuity through the site | image by Guowei Liu

dark hammered concrete finishes relate to the stone paving of the plaza | image by Guowei Liu

1/52

image by ArchExist

image by Guowei Liu

image by Guowei Liu

image by Guowei Liu

image by ArchExist

image by ArchExist

image by Guowei Liu

image by Guowei Liu

image by Guowei Liu

image by Guowei Liu

image by Fangfang Tian

image by Fangfang Tian

image by Fangfang Tian

image by Fangfang Tian

image by Fangfang Tian

image by Fangfang Tian

image by Fangfang Tian

image by Fangfang Tian

image by Fangfang Tian

image by Guowei Liu

image by Guowei Liu

image by ArchExist

image by Fangfang Tian

image by ArchExist

image by Fangfang Tian

image by ArchExist

image by Qingyan Zhu

image by Qingyan Zhu

image by Qingyan Zhu

image by Qingyan Zhu

image by ArchExist

image by Qingyan Zhu

image by ArchExist

image by Qingyan Zhu

image by Qingyan Zhu

image by Qingyan Zhu

image by Guowei Liu

image by ArchExist

image by ArchExist

image by Qingyan Zhu

image by Qingyan Zhu

image by ArchExist

image by ArchExist

image by ArchExist

image by ArchExist

image by ArchExist

image by Qingyan Zhu

image by ArchExist

image by ArchExist

image by ArchExist

image by ArchExist

image by ArchExist

project info:

name: Resting Loop with Views, a Creekside Pavilion among Hills

architect: HCCH Studio | @hcchstudio

design team: Hao Chen, Chenchen Hu, Jiaqi Liu, Yazhou Ding, Feng Qi

structure: iStructure

contractor: Wenzhou Zhengyi Engineering

client: Fengyuzhu Culture&Tech

location: Mount. Luofu of Huizhou City, Guangdong Province, China

photographers: Fangfang Tian, ArchExist, Guowei Liu, Qingyan Zhu

videographer: Fangfang Tian

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom