The Fire Tower is located at one of the forest reserve in the Kunyu Mountain National Park, Yantai. Traces of human beings are barely present on steep and rugged slopes covered with pinewoods. Mr. Wang, a forest guard at Huangliankou, has been living in the mountain for over three decades. He and his wife, Ms. Bo, have been safeguarding the forest for more than ten years. Before the tower was installed, the couple had to go back and forth between their home inside the mountain and the mountain top. They even had to live in the mountains during the seasons when fire protection was the top priority.
With a wide view of 270 degrees, the Fire Tower is located on a south-facing exposed rock on the top of Huangliankou Mountain. The place is inaccessible to large construction equipment. Furthermore, any fire hazards due to construction must be prevented. As a result, we proposed a strategy of prefabricated assemblies. This means that we have to design not only the tower itself, but also a process resembling the disassembly, transportation, like the assembly of IKEA furniture. After components are prepared, workers can assemble them by bolts to stem out the risk of fire caused by electric welding.
The FIre Tower is in a strong and durable light steel structure that can be placed on bedrock in an overhanging structure. It has an appearance of a light and transparent glass “box”, removing pillars at the corners and installing sliding glass doors, all aiming at ensuring a broader and direct view for forest guards. Although the seemingly-hanging roof is thin, it is strong enough to support people standing there. Through a small and compact spiral staircase, rangers can ascend to the top to enjoy a 360-degree panoramic view.
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