west-line studio builds dense bamboo entrance + tea pavilion within national park in china

west-line studio has completed the landscape design for the zhuhai national park, located in guizhou province, south-west china. the 10,000 hectares park is characterized by the unique presence of a so-called ‘bamboo sea’, which constitutes the main attraction. the project aims to promote a different kind of tourism, able to enhance awareness about the protection of the original landform and autochthonous species.

top view

all images by haobo wei, jingsong xie, jialin dong 

the ‘park gateway’ project by west-line studio covers an overall area of 22,000 sqm, with a built area of 514 sqm, which is comprehensive or the entire boardwalk system. the program includes the main park entrance and a tea pavilion, along with a larger landscape project which involves flying boardwalks through the bamboo forest, allowing visitors to experience the forest without affecting the environment.

bird eye view

the main entrance has been designed as an assembly of vertical lines. the idea was to create, in the middle of the forest, a denser cluster, which can be randomly intercepted in the bamboo sea. the gate is hidden within the bamboo vegetation and interacts with the particular and various weather conditions of the area, such as the sun, thick fog, rain, wind and snow.  

main entrance gate

the gate aims to form an iconic welcoming point, highlighting the materiality of the bamboo, even though at the same time, it is completely integrated, hidden intside the forest. it is made of a thick bamboo skin, combined with concrete, adding to the support system of the structure. the roof is made out of glass, protecting the bamboo from rain. 

boardwalk through the main entrance gate

even with the glass roof protection, architects had to deal with problems of high humidity and fluctuations in temperature, which characterize the area. for this reason, the bamboo has been steam-treated to take out its oil in order to avoid decay. since the local equipment only allows the bamboo to be steamed to a maximum length of 6m, it had to be divided in two parts, – 5.5m each. the two pieces have been connected by hand-made galvanized metal joints, which became a characteristic element in the gate’s facade.

back view of the main entrance gate

the elevated boardwalks are supported by a red fair-faced concrete structure. the paving is made of anticorrosive bamboo plywood and the railings are made of rust-proof black metal. after the tea pavilion the path becomes steep, mainly made by steps, to bring visitors up to the mountain. the two buildings and the boardwalks system are constructed to maximize the protection of the local natural environment; tourists can appreciate the unique characteristics of the bamboo sea without damaging the forest.

back view of the main entrance gate

a natural water pond, under the main entrance gate, collects rain water and spring water. the pond was originally a big pit, which has been paved with cow dung and soil to prevent water loss. cow dung also helps maintain the biological environment by providing nutrients. the pond helps create fog due to the differing temperatures, especially in the early morning and sunset or during winter and rainy days. when sun and fog happen at the same time the gate looks completely embedded into the bamboo sea.

tea pavilion viewed from the main gate

red atmosphere

musician playing the chinese guzheng

master plan

plan + elevation

details

project info:

name: park gateway

architecture office: west-line studio

lead architects: haobo wei, jingsong xie

landscape team: yanwu liu, yangyalan ou

architectural design team: minghua ou, yudan luo

structure: yuanping li

equipment: hongbo shi

location: zhuhai national park, chishui, guizhou province

area: 514 sqm 

landscape area: 22,000 sqm 

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