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In China, MVRDV Completes a Hill-Shaped Pavilion Enveloped in an Earthen Berm

Arched, earth-covered pavilion — Photo © Arch-Exist
The Pujiang Platform by MVRDV.

Architects & Firms

From a birds eye view, one may mistake the Pujiang Platform—an arched, earth-covered pavilion nestled in the hills south of Chengdu, China—for a part of the surrounding landscape. Designed by the Dutch firm MVRDV, the recently completed structure overlooks the new town of Pujiang and the Qionglai Mountain range behind it.

Photo of the Pujiang Platform from the balcony.

Photo © Arch-Exist

MVRDV was commissioned by the Pujiang County Planning and Resources Bureau to update a pre-existing viewing platform, transforming it into a tourist destination and event space.

The Pujiang Platform’s design originated from the revelation that a hill was leveled when the previous one was built. In creating a vegetated structure with a telescopic shape, MVRDV resurrects this lost natural feature. Visitors enter the timber pavilion through a small, glazed facade on the building’s southeast side. The roof slopes upwards as the floor descends in a series of cascading stairs, which form a tribune. A larger glass facade approximately 33 feet tall integrates a pair of sliding doors, which open to a protruding balcony. A spiraling staircase connects pre-existing pathways to the site. Atop the staircase, there’s a circular, secondary viewing platform.

Photo © Arch-Exist

With a soil depth of about 4 inches, the earthen berm can host a variety of grasses, flowers, and small bushes—the plants used mirror the site’s current biodiversity. The berm and greenery also provide insulation and thermal mass. The pavilion’s layered ceiling allows for natural ventilation, and a roof overhang and trees shield the main entrance from direct sunlight.

“The hills of this region are truly a spectacular sight, so one of the challenges we faced was to make the most of those views while reducing the impact on the landscape,” says MVRDV founding partner Jacob van Rijs. “By adding a hill-shaped pavilion with a green roof we not only minimize our own impact, but we recreated the hill that was there before.”