The project is located on a residential plot in Shanxia (山下, Mountain-foot) Village, Yongkang City, Zhejiang Province, China. To its north are the field for Dragon Lantern performance and the rocky hill Houyanta. After analyzing the spatial and cultural environment, we recognized that it might not be just an opportunity to construct a building but also a chance to reshape rural culture and reawaken collective memories. Instead of repeating the homogeneous designs of surrounding residences, we envisioned a cultural station with public purposes. Design questions were posed:
· How can the building take root in this land?
· How can the building enhance the experience of the dragon lantern performance?
· How can the building become a hub for cultural activities?
INSPIRED BY THE BENCH DRAGON LANTERN
Located at the foot of Maoqian Mountain, Shanxia Village has long been celebrated for its picturesque landscapes and rich culture. However, with the advent of modernization, the village's traditional charm has gradually diminished, and many forms of intangible cultural heritage have also faded with changes in economic structures. Despite this, the folk custom of the Bench Dragon Lantern has endured, and this annual ritual performance on the seventeenth day of the first lunar month remains a significant moment that brings the community together and strengthens the village.
The Bench Dragon is associated with the southern Chinese custom of "adding sons and lighting lanterns" : the dragon's body is formed by benches contributed by each household, with more benches continually added as sons marry and start their own families. Villagers shoulder the benches and vividly mimic the dragon's coiling, swimming, and leaping motions, competing with one another. This ritual is a way for villagers to pray for favorable weather and household safety in the coming year.
LOCAL NEGOTIATION OF ARCHITECTURAL FORM
Over the past decade or so, the village has undergone dramatic transformations. A provincial express road now cuts through the area, many traditional buildings have been demolished, and modern-style residences have sprung up.
The site is located at the foot of Maoqian Mountain and near Qianshu (Thousand-scroll) Pond. The plot sits at the "tail" (the very north end) of the old village part, and to its north lie the expansive open field used for the dragon lantern performance and the rocky hill with distinctive landform known as "Houyanta (Rear-rock-pagoda) " .
The village planning, traditional customs, and site conditions presented challenges for the design, in response to which, the negotiated design strategies introduced contradiction in the architectural form.
The existing village planning still favors a grid-like layout of modern-style multi-story houses. The designated plot sizes are standardized across the village, with regulations requiring multi-story structures with a setback on the south façade to create shaded spaces. In response to these requirements, the cultural station's overall form, as seen from south to north, closely resembles other recently built modern-style residences, aligning with the village planning.
However, on the building's northern side, where it interacts with the hill Houyanta, more critical design strategies are employed. While the strategies reduce the building area, they foster a more positive relationship between architecture and nature, as well as enhanced spatial experiences.
According to the local custom of "rising step by step" , the building must not be shorter than any residences to its south. This may result in a building with considerable height and volume. If the design fully follows the rectangular sections of other newly constructed residences, the towering and vertical facade approaching the hill would create significant visual conflict. To address this, a design strategy of a slanted-cut section is employed, redefining the relationship between the building and the hill as one of "mutual gaze and dialogue" .
When we entered the project, the tail end of the rocky hill Houyanta, which originally extended into the plot, had been cut away, leaving behind a vertical rock face. According to the planning regulation, a line 2 meters south of the rock face was designated as the building's northern boundary. One can imagine that if the building were constructed right along this boundary, the 2-meter gap between the structure and the rock face would easily become an unused, cluttered, and negative space. Through a strategic setback in the building volume, the passive gap is transformed into a courtyard with rich spatial layering.
A MULTI-LAYERED PLATFORM FOR CULTURAL EXCHANGE
The Shanxia Cultural Station is envisioned as a multi-layered cultural exchange platform for villagers, scholars, and artists.
The building features two entrances, one to the south and one to the north. The south one, serving as the main entrance, aligns with the village plan and traditional house typology, while the north one, connected to Houyanta via a bridge, provides access to the dragon lantern venue and the natural surroundings.
The first floor of the cultural station includes a dining hall, a self-service kitchen, and a courtyard. The kitchen and dining hall not only function as supporting facilities but also offer a relaxed social space.
The multi-functional space on the second floor is the core for cultural activities. Through flexible furniture arrangements, this space can transform into an exhibition hall, studio, activity room, or meeting room, catering to art exhibitions, residency workshops, theater rehearsals, and academic seminars.
The cultural station's third to fifth floors feature five guest rooms for hosting artists and scholars. Each guest room has a spacious balcony and a floor-to-ceiling window, offering expansive sky and mountain views to inspire creativity.
INTERACTIVE PRESENTATION OF MATERIALS
The interplay of red terracotta bricks, red-coated metals, pebble-dash, and glass bricks not only strengthens the connection between the building and the natural and cultural environment of the village but also helps establish an intrinsic formal and functional logic for the building.
ARCHITECTURE AS A CATALYST
Each year, on the evening of the 17th day of the first lunar month, crowds surge onto the slopes of hills Dayanta (Big-rock-pagoda) and Houyanta, which flank the dragon lantern field, to secure the best viewing spots. The completion of the Shanxia Cultural Station adds a new vantage point south of the field and establishes a new spatial order with the existing landscape.
During the dragon lantern performance, guest rooms are opened to villagers and visitors as lounges, with the balconies serving as viewing platforms for the spectacle.
The first floor is open to the public, offering food and beverages in the chilly early spring. The second floor serves as a space for event preparation, village gatherings, and auspicious-symbol writing.
Rather than merely serving a functional role in facilitating performances, this building holds greater significance: since its completion, it has become an incubator and venue for various public cultural activities, including exhibitions, theater workshops, and academic seminars, demonstrating its feasibility as a cultural hub. As a new landmark in the village, the building is prompting people to reexamine the village's cultural value and development potential, and to plan an optimized spatial and programmatic configuration. Inspired by the Bench Dragon Lantern, the Shanxia Cultural Station, situated at the foot of Maoqian Mountain and Houyanta Hill, is fostering collective wisdom, injecting deeper vitality and new possibilities into the rural community. The spirit of the dragon lantern continues resonating in Shanxia Village...
