Tsampa, ground from roasted barley using water-powered millstones, is a staple food in Tibetan daily life on the Tibetan Plateau. Such workshops can be found in nearly every Tibetan village touched by snowmelt streams. In the heart of Jiaona Village, Luohuo, Garzê, stood an abandoned, crumbling old mill. Xiangwang Architects took on its reconstruction, transforming it into a multifunctional space that serves both local villagers in their daily tsampa production and offers visitors a hands-on, immersive cultural experience.

The redesign continues XWArchitects’s consistent design philosophy: deeply integrating production space with local culture and traditional rituals, using the lived experience of living heritage to awaken physical and emotional resonance with the spirit of place. In response to local architectural materials and historical context—while harmonizing regional construction methods with modern techniques—the new workshop employs a modern glued-laminated timber structure. By stacking and crossing small wood members, the design amplifies the interlocking construction logic of traditional Bongkor architecture, creating a form that blends naturally into its surroundings. Prefabricated components combined with on-site assembly significantly shortened construction time and effectively controlled costs.

The spatial layout preserves the traditional water-powered milling area while adding a tsampa-making experience zone. Visitors can closely observe the production process and, under the guidance of local artisans, participate in making tsampa themselves.

Light awakens the senses within the space. Vertical linear light bands temper the intense sunlight and deep shadows of the plateau, shaping an uplifting spatial atmosphere, while wall details create delicate layers of micro-shadows through interplay with light. As night falls, the building glows softly like a lantern floating above the water—a tranquil landmark within the village.