translucent metal mesh wraps MARS studio's sluice gate, echoing mountains and sea in china

mars studio reimagines Xiangshan Sluice Gate

MARS Studio’s renovation of the Xiangshan Sluice Gate reimagines an essential structure located along the East China Sea. With a facade that mirrors the undulating mountains around Daoren Mountain in Tuci Town, the design draws inspiration from its natural surroundings to create a boundary between the built environment and the landscape. The sluice, historically overlooked as functional infrastructure, now stands as an evocative mountain and sea boundary, bridging nature, culture, and public space.

The design of the sluice emphasizes both solid boundaries and transparency, balancing strength with a permeable connection to nature. A translucent metal mesh forms the building’s skin, providing both unity and wind resistance, while also achieving a tranquil integration with the site’s scenery.

all images courtesy of MARS Studio

a new public monument that echoes its natural landscape

The project site, locally known as Rice Bucket Mountain, has become a popular outdoor retreat with its unique geography, unspoiled scenery, and humorous names. Positioned as a quiet sentinel between the Wai Tu seawall and the open sea, the sluice gate now commands a new, visually engaging presence, inviting visitors to reflect on the profound connection between people and their environment. Inspired by the distant contours of mountains and rivers, MARS Studio transformed the facade to embody a rolling continuity with the natural landscape. ‘The new facade not only creates a dynamic rhythm visually, but also responds spatially to the mountains in the distance, as if it were an architectural reproduction of a masterpiece of nature,’ share the architects.

Functionally, the sluice remains a vital infrastructure for water resource regulation and a connection point for traffic. Yet, the renovation elevates its role, creating a new public landmark where visitors can experience calmness and contemplate the inseparable relationship between nature and human-made environments. This reimagined sluice now acts as a cultural bridge, embodying the area’s history and natural beauty while offering a place for reflection and connection with the landscape.

at the boundary of the mountains and the sea