atelier xi builds sculptural 'peach hut' pavilion as part of community center in rural china

atelier xi has built ‘peach hut’, a sculptural pavilion made of colored, cast-in-place concrete, located on a field of blossoming peach trees in rural china. the pavilion is the first one completed in a series of miniature facilities created as part of a larger community center. ‘peach hut’ is envisioned as a building cut from a series of invisible arcs derived from the earth and the cloud, forming a unique shape that rises to the sky.all images by zhang chao

atelier xi was originally commissioned to design a 300 sqm public building to facilitate culture and art education in china’s xiuwu county. considering the vastness of the area (630 square kilometers), and the difficulty of traveling between scattered villages, the architect proposed to divide the building into a series of miniature facilities, placed in different locations to better serve local communities. the minimal architectural interventions seek to rejuvenate the communities of remote rural areas, and help local residents enjoy and rethink life quality, as well as to alleviate isolation and poverty.

the location of the cast-in-place concrete pavilions varies, from fields, to woods and mountaintops, while their form and function differs as well. one grows out from the ruined walls in an abandoned village, another embodies a floating theater on the water. ‘peach hut,’ the first completed miniature pavilion, is surrounded by a field of blossoming peach trees in a farmland.

all windows of the building are shaped differently, responding to the varying views and light angles. the large floor-to-ceiling window on the second floor allows viewers to jump over the peach trees and overlook the panoramic view of the farm, while the round window frame on the south side rotates along the central axis, capturing dynamic views of the orchard under the subtle variation of daylight. the pavilion is coated in pink cast-in-place concrete, referencing the peach blossoms located on site.

atelier xi has cast the exterior concrete surface in small wooden formwork in order to outline the contour of the curved geometry. the interior is cast in a smooth formwork to better reflect the skylight from above. at different times of the day, the pink concrete wall reveals different colors and qualities based on the changing light conditions. a bronze wall sconce and the black steel door handles are designed in the shape of the building’s outline, while a relief tree is cast on the concrete façade, orientated towards sunrise to the east. these small details are created as unique marks that belong only to this piece of land.