living center by hangzhou 9M architectural design co blends into the hills of rural china

located on the small hill of zongtang village, yiwu, china, the greentown yiwu peach blossom land living experience center by hangzhou 9M architectural design co. doubles as a display center for a large-scale residential development, and as a key part of the city park which is open to the public. the low-pitched building blends with the surrounding landscape thanks to three glass boxes, which are hidden within the hills and face towards the water.all images by li yao

in developing the center, hangzhou 9m architectural design co. has drawn from the peach blossom spring, a classic by chinese ancient poet, tao yuanming, to create an ideal place for living that reminds visitors of the beautiful scenery described in the fable. nestled between the south hill and jimingshan park of the beautiful and historical zongtang village, the project incorporates a reclusive yet interesting experience route that leads through a meandering path from the foothill, across several cherry blossom trees with a rammed earth wall and a shale wall as the backdrop, and toward the reclusive entrance of the place. the entrance leads to the basement floor which is perfectly hidden in the trees with three different courtyards, in the theme of water, flower and stone. when walking up to the ground floor, visitors can see through the trees and overlook the hills and water in the distance.

the 1,500 sqm project, which acts as a display center for a large-scale residential development, but also serves as an important part of the surrounding park, comprises three glass boxes connected via corridors and hidden within the hills. the main building is further sunken underground, conforming to the altitude difference of the land and offering visitors a perfect view from its premises. a transparent façade made of large pieces of glass measuring 3m wide x 5m high dilutes the existence of the building, transforming it into a ‘lightbox’ which fully absorbs light in the daytime and glows at night.

the rammed earth wall by the entrance was made using ‘five-color earth’ excavated from the earthwork, in order to make the most of the original resources of the site, while its texture echoes with the continuous hills in the distance. the special earth is sealed up at the entrance hall and materials such as the local bluestone, old wooden beams, bronze crafts are used in the project as a tribute to the site and the village. inside, old relics from ming and qing dynasty, which have been collected from villages nearby and the city, are exhibited in the display space on the ground floor of the project, initiating a dialogue between time and space.