wilburban architects scatters geometric pavilions among china's cedar forests

the architecture adapts to Topography and Trees

Located sixty kilometers from downtown Chongqing, China, this Wilburban Architects-designed complex dubbed, Xanadu Chongchongshan brings urban life closer to the dense forests and vast mountains of Banan. This unique project, comprising hospitality programming, demonstrates how the boundaries between city and nature can blur, offering visitors an immersive retreat. Sited along a steep mountain peak, the context features a challenging terrain, with only a gentle path at its summit. Visitors navigating the landscape are surrounded by tall fir trees, which disorient the sense of direction and exaggerate the experience of being immersed in the forest.

image © Guowei Liu

wilburban architects’ Interaction Between Building and Plaza

The main building’s spherical concave front echoes the circular plaza below, creating a fluid interaction between architecture and public space. This design transforms the structure into a dramatic backdrop for activities in the square, reinforcing its role as a community stage. The main building bridges the indoors and outdoors. Visitors first pass through a dimly lit cave into a tall dining hall encircled by trees. From there, an external suspended staircase or a spiral tower offers two paths to the rooftop. These routes, including a skybridge, allow movement above the treetops and provide panoramic mountain views, creating a multi-layered, sensory experience.

image © Guowei Liu

Geometric Forms Embedded into forest of china

The project comprises four white buildings aligned with the mountaintop’s contours and six treehouses scattered among the pines. These structures form an ancient matrix encircling the central plaza. Primitive geometric forms, blank wall surfaces, and carefully placed windows reflect the shifting tree shadows, blending architecture with its natural surroundings. A pavilion is tucked away on the opposite side of the mountain, concealed among cedar trees. Its geometric roof appears to float, creating a fleeting presence in the forest while maintaining harmony with the natural environment.

image © Hanfeng Zou

image © Guowei Liu

image © Hanfeng Zou

image © Guowei Liu

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image © Guowei Liu

image © Guowei Liu

image © Hanfeng Zou

image © Hanfeng Zou

image © Guowei Liu

image © Guowei Liu

image © Hanfeng Zou

image © Guowei Liu

axonometric

project info:

name: Xanadu Chongchongshan

architect: Wilburban Architects

location: Chongqing, China

lead architects: Jacky Chan
design team: Jacky Chan ,Lin Wangming, Xie Yongbin, Xie Jinping, Lin Jiashan
landscape: Yuanya Landscape
collaborative team: Guangbenhui Lighting Design
client: Chongqing Xiannadu Cultural Development

area: 3,800 square meters (40,900 square feet)

completion: 2024

photography: © Guowei Liu, Hanfeng Zou