UAO design’s liangzi island pier is punctuated by a glowing A-frame ‘lighthouse’

an abandoned pier becomes a modern visitor center

The architects of UAO Design have taken on the opportunity to create a new visitor center within an old stone-walled fishing village on Liangzi Island, which can be found on China‘s Liangzi Lake in Ezhou, near Wuhan. Washed in a glowing sunset, the coastal, western-facing site at once captivated the team as ancient trees swayed within its stone walls. During the initial visit to this tranquil place, a derelict pier along the shoreline inspired them to undertake a renovation project, extending the planned visitor center out into the sea to gaze toward the vast horizon.

images ©  Arch-Inbetween / Zhao Yilong

the ‘lighthouse’ on the liangzi island coast

The architects at UAO envisioned the Liangzi Island Pier as a symbolic place representing ‘going home.’ Concepts like fisherman’s lights, lighthouse, and watching the sunset emerged as ceremonial ‘anchors.’ These anchors would eventually be translated into architectural vignettes, expressed with elements like large glass surfaces, warm lighting, open windows, and grassy slopes. Designing the space, the team recognized the functional need for visitors to travel up and down the coastline by boat. Waiting for the boats called for a sheltered area, while the boarding zone and outlying island routes demanded simplicity and openness. Thus, the final design evolved into a visitor center with waiting greenhouses on either side and a central ‘tent.’ The plan included a circular glass skylight, parallelogram roof, and oblique columns to introduce natural light and maintain a sense of scale.

UAO designs a visitor center within the island’s stone walls, inspired by the site’s fishing village heritage

uao strategically frames landscape views

UAO’s tent-like visitor center punctuates the Liangzi Island Pier and takes shape with silver plates of aluminum-magnesium-manganese. The expansive first floor functions as a sheltered waiting area for passengers, while the towering second floor symbolizes a ‘lighthouse’ overlooking the water. A horizontal ribbon window along the second floor strategically frames uninterrupted landscape views toward the lake. This way, the cluttered urban fabric is out of sight, while scenes of the endless sea and sky are highlighted.

the concept of a lighthouse gazing toward the horizon informed the architecture
the A-frame roof is clad in silver-gray aluminum-magnesium-manganese plates
the program called for a large open waiting area along the ground level for travelers

strategic windows along the sloping rooftop allow sunlight to flood the lofty space

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project info:

project title: Liangzi Island Pier

architecture: UAO Design

location: Liangzi Lake District, Ezhou, Hubei Province, China

lead designer: Li Tao

design team: Huang Minkun, Long Kecheng, Li Long, Xiao Jian, Kan Wenhui, Kong Fanyi, Jiang Haiyang

client: Hubei Cultural Tourism Liangzihu Development Co., Ltd.

completion: October 2023

photography: © Arch-Inbetween / Zhao Yilong