undulating skylights puncture pastel public restroom pavilion in shenzhen

Studio 10 crafts Pavilion of Pastel Shadows within Shiyaling Park

Nestled at the base of Shiyaling Mountain, near Dafen Oil  Painting Village, Studio 10‘s Pavilion of Pastel Shadows is designed to serve visitors engaging in sports and mountain climbing. It transcends its primary function as a public restroom, offering a serene rest stop for athletes and climbers. Bordered by a lush, vegetated slope on one side and a bustling road with pedestrian traffic and sports facilities on the other, the site features six large trees providing year-round greenery and a natural canopy.

To preserve the site’s natural ecology, a detailed survey of the trees’ trunks and branches was conducted early in the planning process. The architectural layout is intentionally woven around these natural elements, with functional spaces strategically placed near the roadway and adjacent buildings to minimize disruption to the trees and their avian inhabitants. A canopy connects the discrete functional ‘boxes,’ strategically punctured to accommodate the trees’ branches, forming naturally shaped eaves.

all images by ©Chao Zhang

pavilion fuses with nature Harmonizing Light and Shadow

Facing the hillside, the pavilion offers a tranquil semi-outdoor space where visitors can rest and engage with nature. Outdoor sinks and benches, crafted from the original tree pits, invite interaction and contemplation, allowing visitors to enjoy the mountain scenery, listen to birds, and hear rainfall. Studio 10’s designers drew inspiration from the playful shadows cast by the site’s trees, incorporating these patterns onto its roofs and facades through a series of skylights and perforations. These elements serve the practical purposes of lighting and ventilating the public restrooms while preserving and reinterpreting the dynamic memory of light and shadow native to the site.

The shadow play extends to smaller elements, like the sink mirror and the casings of hand dryers and paper towel dispensers, mirroring the site’s interplay of light and shadow. The building’s aesthetic, influenced by the artistic heritage of Dafen Oil Painting Village, features neutral pastel colors and textures that blend the pavilion into the green, mountainous backdrop.

Studio 10’s Pavilion of Pastel Shadows is nestled at the base of Shiyaling Mountain

designed to serve visitors engaging in sports and mountain climbing, the pavilion offers a serene rest stop

the pavilion transcends its primary function as a public restroom, providing a peaceful retreat

the site features six large trees providing year-round greenery

the architectural layout is woven around natural elements while minimizing disruption to the trees

facing the hillside, the pavilion offers a tranquil semi-outdoor space for visitors to rest and engage with nature

outdoor sinks and benches, crafted from the original tree pits, invite interaction and contemplation

the design reinterprets the playful shadows cast by the site’s trees in shapes on its roofs, skylights and facades

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project info:

name: Pavilion of Pastel Shadows at the Shiyaling Park
architect: Studio 10 | @studio10design

principal-in-charge: Shi Zhou

design team: Chunhui Mo, Jiaxiao Bao (Project Assistant), Mengqi Zhang, Hong Chen, Feifei Chen (Project Assistant), Yingxi Dong (Intern), Zewei Feng (Intern)

special acknowledgment: Xiongyi Zhu

structural design consultant: Tao Qu
construction drawing team: Shenzhen Youxiang Space Design Engineering Co., LTD
client: Longgang District Urban Management and Comprehensive Law Enforcement Bureau
organizer of longgang toilet revolution international design workshop: Design Across View | Arch Culture Organization

area: 136.7 sqm

location: Shiyaling Park, Longgang District, Shenzhen, China

photography: Chao Zhang | @zhangchao_sz

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom