Type | Spatial Design

Architect | Chen Haoru

Completion Year | 2022

Designed by Chen Haoru, architect and teacher at the China Academy of Art, the Qingshan Visitor Center is an iconic building at the heart of the village. Drawing on local ecology, culture and traditional crafts, it creates a public space with local warmth and contemporary aesthetics.

The building’s visual tension comes from a dialogue of materials. The main walls use traditional rammed earth made from local loam, offering texture, warmth, insulation and stability. Transparent glass facades and light bamboo elements form a sharp contrast. Bamboo grilles and partitions, made from local moso bamboo with anti-mold and anti-corrosion treatment, bring rhythm, ventilation and soft light.

The design echoes the village’s natural context: water, bamboo forests and mountains. Using local materials and traditional techniques, the building seems to grow naturally from the land.

Over time, it has evolved far beyond a visitor center. It is now a lively public space where young returnees gather, villagers meet and visitors enjoy the landscape. It revives the community spirit of traditional rural life while embracing diverse people and ideas.

Rooted in rammed earth and connected by bamboo, this building carries the collective memory of Qingshan Village and serves as a warm link between the countryside and the world.