Dushan Mountain is the most iconic landmark in the region, and the gateway to Songyang County and its urban center.
The new leisure center is located at the triangular wetland at the foot of Dushan Mountain adjacent to the Songyin River, the mother river of Songyang County. It is also one of the key tourism projects of the Songyin River Scenic District Development, including a visitor center, water sports facilities, and a gym for water sports athletes.
We take this project as the first meeting point of local residents and tourists in the county by considering the entire triangular harbor as a water park shared by both tourists and local communities. The architectural programs are organized through a spiral with the visitor facilities at the center and a gym at the far end, connected by an east-west walkway as a shortcut. A “C” shape dike connects to the Songyin River will also become the passage for pedestrians, bicycles and tourism electric shuttles. The overall configuration provides an undulating walkway for above the harbor, with constantly changing views of the Mountain & Water.
The project adopts timber structure as natural material, low-carbon construction, and traditional special quality. Glass curtain walls with different gradient of translucency bring subtle shift on building façades as misty surfaces on the water. Layers of indoor and outdoor space create interplay of views, like the traditional Chinese landscape garden.
The meditation room on second floor is also a multi-function room. The opening on the roof casts the trace of sun on the floor with bronze plates of different hours in the Chinese 24 solar terms, creating a dialogue with the nature and time.