the threshold along the wetland edge
The newly completed Laoyuting Pavilion, designed by Atelier Deshaus, emerges within a wetland park in China. Positioned on the southern edge of the Water-Forest Art Zone, the pavilion initially welcomed visitors to the 2024 Dianchi Art Season and now remains as a permanent landmark for those entering the wetland area.
Set among a stand of cypress trees that help purify water before it reaches Dianchi Lake, the area is a popular spot for locals who often gather to fish among the reeds. In this tranquil environment, Atelier Deshaus conceived the pavilion as a place for pause, gently mediating the flow of visitors and the unhurried processes of the wetland ecosystem.
The design introduces an artificial ‘forest’ composed of slender steel columns, visually signaling the transition from urban space to the water’s edge. Above, a fragmented roof floats atop these dense vertical supports, casting dappled shade and offering glimpses of the sky. Within the pavilion, the staggered arrangement of columns creates two understated pathways, guiding guests deeper into the park’s landscape.
images © WangCe
atelier deshaus’ fragmented rooftop
Up close, the roof of Laoyuting Pavilion appears irregular, yet the overall silhouette by Atelier Deshaus subtly references the four-sided hipped roofs characteristic of traditional Chinese architecture. By fragmenting the steel plates, the team transforms the reading of the material, lending it a softer, more understated presence that allows the pavilion to harmonize with its natural setting. Sunlight passes through the gaps in ever-changing patterns, creating a quiet, sheltered atmosphere within.
The environmental sensitivity of the site influenced the pavilion’s construction. To preserve the wetland’s delicate surface, the foundation consists of a steel plate resting directly on the ground, with each column supported by a ten-centimeter steel block. These compact bases act as individual micro-foundations, subtly elevating the structure above the terrain and demonstrating a careful approach to site preservation.
Laoyuting Pavilion stands at the edge of a lake as a permanent threshold to a wetland
the modular logic of the Laoyuting Pavilion
Atelier Deshaus conceived the Laoyuting Pavilion as a composition of repeated modules, each made up of six columns paired with either flat or sloped steel plates. Where these modules overlap, some columns are omitted, and the structural loads are transferred to short, slender elements rising between the roof plates. This strategy results in varying densities of vertical supports and a carefully orchestrated spatial rhythm. In total, ninety-three cantilevered steel columns anchor the structure to the ground, complemented by a secondary network of thinner round bars that support the upper layers of the roof.
These structural choices lend the pavilion a sense of measured lightness. By exploring the dialogue between natural trees and the man-made columns, Atelier Deshaus evokes primal forms of shelter reinterpreted through a modern perspective. The result is a space where visitors can rest beneath the play of filtered light and immerse themselves in the gentle sounds of the wetland environment.
Atelier Deshaus organizes the pavilion as a field of slender steel columns
fragmented roof plates filter daylight and shape a calm, shaded interior
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