In the commercial atrium of THE RING · GARDEN CITY in Chongqing, XISUI Design has created a massive 20-meter-high installation, the "Wonder Tree," which spans four floors of retail space. Steampunk elements combine with a fantasy forest where more than 200 fantastical plants flourish along the mechanical "veins," forming a 4,000+ ㎡ 3D ecological space that enables visitors to explore in an immersive and multi-sensory manner. People can wander up and down in this fairytale-like wonderland, while experiencing the awe-inspiring vitality of the symbiosis and integration between human technological development and nature.

01 Design Origin
The Steampunk Era originated in the wake of the First Industrial Revolution, when human labor was largely replaced by steam power and machinery. This was a period of significant productivity growth and vigorous progress in human history. Amidst rapid technological innovation, people looked toward a future of happiness with great anticipation and enthusiasm. The Wonder Tree concept is rooted in this historical period, echoing the pivotal period of human civilizational development, and embodies that idealistic, vibrant vitality surging with positivity.

For the thematic setting of the Wonder Tree, an idealized vision is presented: In this tale, the Wonder Tree acts as a living purifier, helping humanity purify regions. Meanwhile, those with technology and a sense of justice mechanize it and infuse it with power, enabling the tree to rip itself from the earth, stride globally, and purify diverse areas it visits. Can human civilization and all things in the world coexist in a sustainable, symbiotic relationship?

02 Gene Storage Plan
Seed Museum
The L1 entrance of the Wonder Tree appears from the outside as a great tree hollow gateway, where metallic machinery and entwined roots merge organically. Upon entering, the interior space of the L1 is designed as the energy core of the Wonder Tree. To sustain Earth’s ecology, the Wonder Tree collects and stores countless plant seeds, using its own sap energy to create a long-term preservation environment for them. Bringing this narrative to life, THE RING · GARDEN CITY has partnered offline with Chongqing Natural History Museum. Over six months, expeditions were made to Heilongjiang, Ningxia, the Greater Khingan Range, and Xishuangbanna, collecting hundreds of rare seed species. Through interactive displays, visitors are allowed to closely observe and learn about these precious life-forms.
In terms of interaction, visitors tap the touchscreen below to select the names of plant seeds from various natural origins. The display screen above then plays corresponding educational content about the chosen seed. Meanwhile, the two "Seed Storage Tanks" rotating slowly on either side will position themselves in the correct orientation, ensuring the chosen seed faces the operator. A single beam of light will precisely illuminate the selected seed.

Gene Cabin
The interior space of the second level is a scientific laboratory for cultivating seeds within enclosed canisters. Some seeds germinate and grow here, simulating the protected cultivation of fragile life under extreme external climates. Meanwhile, this floor also is the visual focal point visible from outside—"World Eye." Staircases from upper and lower levels converge here, enabling visual and bodily interactions between people inside and outside the installation through the World Eye, enhancing immersion and engagement.

Eden of Lives
The third level, nestled in the canopy, features a relatively big activity platform and planting area. Germinated seeds begin to grow in an open-air environment here. This setting reflects the idea that if human technological methods are used wisely, they can improve the shared living environment, protect ecosystems, and preserve species diversity. The current implementation of scientific models such as desert photovoltaics combined with agriculture and livestock in China to combat desertification is a real-world testament to this concept.

03 Earth Purification Plan
Water Purification System
The semi-mechanical tree roots extending into the water can be used for educational displays on water purification. The Wonder Tree draws polluted water through roots, first removing sediment and big particles via rotational centrifugation, then subjecting the water to mechanical filtration and constant-temperature heating to create optimal conditions for microbial purification. Subsequently, the water is purified in biological purification tanks located at the root joints. Impurity metabolites are returned to the soil as fertilizer, while purified water is aerated, sterilized, and stored in tanks at the tree base. Finally, it integrates into the Wonder Tree’s purified sap and flows out through the World Eye waterfall, returning to the ecosystem and completing the closed-loop cycle.
In terms of interaction, visitors can tap the touchscreen beneath the roots to trigger mechanical movements at different positions. For example: tapping on the image of the sludge dewatering centrifuge activates its spinning; tapping on the tower-type biological filter tank causes the internal liquid to bubble and the lights to change color; tapping on the ozone disinfection device triggers mist spraying. This approach effectively combines science popularization and research-based learning with engaging interaction.

Air Purification System
In the atrium space where the Wonder Tree is located, multiple sets of axial fans need to be installed on the trees to accelerate indoor air circulation. This not only facilitates air circulation but also aids in soil moisture evaporation, supporting optimal growth conditions for the indoor plants. These essential fan devices, along with plant grow lights and tree-mounted lighting, must be collectively integrated into cohesive design considerations with unified styling.
The design team has integrated multiple equipment functions into a single system within the tree structure through a comprehensive pipeline system that aligns with the Air Purification System’s node configurations. The nodes of the Air Purification System feature functional modules such as air inlets, cold compression units, status indicators, and sectional exhaust valves. This extensive mechanical pipeline network not only preserves the steampunk aesthetic but also offers hidden pathways for the installation and routing of practical plumbing and electrical lines.

04 Mechanical Magical Creatures
Snail
A 5-meter-tall giant snail features a shell inspired by industrial spiral turbines. Its foot, based on the principle of muscle wave motion, is designed as tank-like tracks. Given the shell it carries, it has been designated as a Transport Escort Officer and thus is equipped with rocket thrusters, along with an aviator-style wind visor hat, face mask, and goggles. These elements, paired with the snail's inherent association with slowness create a striking and amusing contrast.
The mechanical snail itself is also a play installation for children. Children can ascend into its shell via a dedicated spiral staircase, look outside through a periscope, or slide down a cylindrical slide. This layout forms a secure, circular play route that is easy for guardians to supervise. The snail's head and antennae stretch out from the inner side of the Wonder Tree’s main staircase, as if curiously peeking at people going up and down the stairs, creating a whimsical interaction.

Dragonfly
The mechanical dragonfly is designed as a maintenance technician that works in coordinated swarms. It carries a maintenance backpack on its back, and its goggles reference the dragonfly's unique compound eyes. The wings are made of translucent colored material, adding a vivid touch of color to the predominantly metallic copper-toned environment.

Loong
The Great Loong Guardian coils around the tree, guarding the Wonder Tree and other creatures inhabiting it. Functionally, the loong's body serves as the outer guardrail panels for the three-tiered sightseeing walkway. Stylistically referencing ancient loong totem murals, the loong’s form is crafted through the interlocking and piecing together of panels to represent loong scales, with circular windows set in to allow children to observe the outside through the glass.

Divine Bird
The Divine Bird acts as a scout on the Wonder Tree, tasked with information relay, environmental reconnaissance, and other duties. Its appearance, modeled after the Qingluan (an azure avian creature from Eastern mythology), stands 6 meters tall from head to tail. This mechanical bird was redesigned and engineered by a specialized mechanical sculpture fabrication team.

The mechanical creatures on the Wonder Tree are another key component of the spatial narrative. From early conceptual design to iterative refinement of character designs, infusing them with practical functions, designers have drafted and revised countless sketches and models. The later stages of detailing and fabrication were handled by a specialized mechanical sculpture fabrication team, who further added more mechanical characters, elevating the fantastical and interactive effects of the scene to new heights.

05 3D Greening and Indoor Plant Supplemental Lighting
3D Planting System
The 3D planting system on the Wonder Tree needs to comprehensively meet practical requirements such as maintenance and upkeep, drip irrigation routing, and supplemental lighting. This process requires close multidisciplinary collaboration. Based on the design effects and functional needs, XISUI Design defined the specific points for planting. Shanghai Botanical Garden Green Engineering Co. provided professional consultation reports, including simulated supplemental lighting intensity for plants, ventilation system design, and drip irrigation systems. WTD GROUP was responsible for plant species selection, planting arrangement effects, and the design of water supply and drainage construction drawings.

Plant Grow Lights
The design of plant supplemental lighting, especially at a human-scale level of detail, remains a critical aspect requiring specialized design. Targeting the specific light intensity levels needed by plants in various locations such as tree fissures and flower pots, the project features an array of custom-designed grow light fixtures with unique forms.

06 Structural Design & Safety Signage
Structural System
The arrangement of the main structural system of the Wonder Tree installation is inseparable from the intended functional, formal, and aesthetic requirements of the design. XISUI Design engaged LuAnLu (the structural consultant) to participate in discussions from the initial design phase. The entire structural system is divided into the following components:
① Core Support Column: Positioned at the center of the tree trunk, it is hidden inside the Wonder Tree’s energy core cylinder and Seed Museum.
② Mechanical Roots: Several mechanical roots radiating outward from the core support column, playing a crucial role in providing auxiliary support and balance.
③ Aerial Root System: Modelled on the aerial roots of natural banyan trees, it supports the lateral extension of canopy branches and ensures the stable installation of mechanical creatures (such as the "Divine Bird") on the branches.
④ Suspended Structure: Making full use of indoor ceiling structural beams to supplementally hang certain branches, thereby reducing the ground structure's spatial footprint.

To facilitate prefabrication and echo the craftsmanship characteristics of the Steam Age, the main structure is designed with various assembly and connection nodes: massive flange plate nodes for convenient prefabrication in the factory and subsequent batch transport to the site for assembly; bifurcation joints that effectively transfer forces at branch bends and branching points; and "Gatling" nodes that realize local diameter transitions between thick and thin parts, featuring mechanical armor aesthetics and specialized functionality. The further development and construction of the steel structure in the subsequent implementation phase were completed by Shanghai Roboticplus TECH team. As one of the few domestic teams specialising in architectural intelligent construction, Roboticplus TECH showcased secure and stable structural guarantees through the optimization of detailed nodes, precise digital processing, and structural pre-cambering.

The entire branching system of the tree was algorithmically generated. It aligns with the natural branching logic of plants while ensuring rational spatial functional zoning and meeting integrated structural load-bearing requirements. For the small branch-leaf clusters, three different specifications were designed, with algorithmically determined placement points to balance loads for numerous cantilevered structures on the branches. The foliage material underwent multiple screening rounds to satisfy the dual requirements of visual effect and indoor fire retardancy.

Safety Protection & Handrail Systems
The railings on both sides of the aerial walkway are designed as arc-profiled outwardly protruding industrial-style metal mesh barriers. This form visually resonates with the plump, rounded organic contours of tree branches, while functionally, the outward protrusion design enables children shorter than the railing height to gain a broader viewing perspective through the mesh.

Safety Signage System
For such a massive three-dimensional participative installation set to accommodate large crowds, safety reminder signs and informational signage are essential throughout its actual operation. To prevent these necessary yet intrusive details from disrupting the immersive experience, we developed a comprehensive signage system from the perspectives of color and form.

Pavement
The flooring underwent multiple samples to achieve a forest-floor-like appearance. The final solution is an art concrete with a custom aggregate mix closely matching the desired color and texture.

07 Immersive Scenario in Commercial Spaces
The birth of the Wonder Tree connects retail spaces, giving every surrounding shop prime frontage. As a catalyst igniting local business vitality, it will also boost the commercial activity of the entire district. On an urban scale, the project resembles a carefully wrapped gift box, bringing a distinctive surprise to the city.

Friends and classmates want a one-of-a-kind place—ritualistic, Instagram-worthy—to mark every reunion. Parents taking their children out yearn for a public, inclusive space that offers a quality experience of greenery, art, beauty, and fun. These require that the design of the space itself be rooted in art and aesthetics, a space that invites exploration, encourages interaction, and cradles gentle emotions. Such a space accommodates children’s exploration and parent-child play, offers young people a place to mark another milestone in their growth journey, provides adults with a temporary escape from worldly worries to unwind, and allows the elderly to encounter familiar plants, flowers, trees, and fish amid a rapidly changing city. Meanwhile, the commercial complex behind it conveys to the public its determination to create a green, high-quality environment regardless of cost. Benefiting the public while creating advantageous conditions for retailers, it also substantially enhances its own brand stature.

08 Behind the Design
In early 2022, XISUI Design received a design bid invitation from Hongkong Land in partnership with China Merchants Shekou: to design a massive participative installation fusing steampunk aesthetics with naturalism — the Wonder Tree — in the four-story-high commercial atrium of THE RING · GARDEN CITY in Chongqing, adjacent to Chongqing Central Park.

The overall spatial planning and landscape design were completed by WTD Design. Their scope covered from the base landscape concept to construction drawings, overall planting design, underwater-forest concept, climbing-wall concept, as well as cross-disciplinary coordination. They also defined the theme and stylistic orientation for the primary core installation in this space.

Building on this foundation, the XISUI Design team stepped in to take over and lead the comprehensive schematic design for the Wonder Tree installation. Confronted with a project demand brimming with fantastical tension and constructive ambition, the designers engaged in a rigorous three-and-a-half-year process. This included revisiting the overall form of the Wonder Tree, researching historical materials of the Steam Age, designing the natural exploration system ("Earth Purification Plan" and "Gene Storage Plan"), studying the branching growth logic and structural mechanics of the tree, creating mechanical animal figures integrated with participatory functions, coordinating with various disciplines (plumbing, electrical, lighting, and planting) on tree-mounted elements, constructing holographic models for detailed construction guidance, implementing hidden designs for detailed functional equipment and safety instruction signage, as well as drafting complete construction drawings for the Wonder Tree.

Over the four years from design to construction, the overall scheme and detailed development of the Wonder Tree have undergone multiple rounds of iterations, involving more globally renowned specialized deepening design teams, expert consultants, and experienced construction teams. Confronted with such a complex and highly customized project and the substantial real-world challenges of implementation quality, the multidisciplinary team behind the scenes poured in 200% passion and professionalism. Working hand-in-hand with the client's management team, they ultimately brought to life a fantastical, unique, non-conformist, transcending standard practices, and nearly whimsical idea.