Dongdan Grassland “Sea Ruins” Station
Dongdan Grassland “Sea Ruins” Station
Mur Mur Lab
ARCHITECTS
Mur Mur Lab
CLIENT
Dongchen Township, Xiangshan County, Ningbo City
STRUCTURAL CONSULTANTS
Huang Yongqiang, Xu Hongsheng
CONSTRUCTION DRAWING DESIGN
Ren Shixin, Gao Yichao
DESIGN TEAM
Li Zhi, Xia Murong, Sun Xi
LANDSCAPE CONSULTANT
Chen Yuzhi
CURTAIN WALL CONSULTANTS
Shanghai Liyang Curtain Wall Design, Gao Yushan, Chen Xinyang - Shanghai Liyang Curtain Wall Design
GENERAL PLANNER
Xiangshan County Youth and Sea Design Alliance, Bujiasi Suo - Xiangshan County Youth and Sea Design Alliance
LIGHTING CONSULTANTS
ELA Lighting, Jiang Zhaolong, Liu Feng, Wang Chuang - ELA Lighting
CONSTRUCTOR
Xiangshan County City Road Municipal Maintenance and Construction Co., Ltd.
LOCATION
Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, China
CATEGORY
Infrastructure, Public Architecture
IN NATURE
Over the past two years, frequent visits have made Xiangshan Dongchen Township the coastal village I know best.
Driving from Ningbo across the vast Xiangshan Harbor, along the extended eastern coastline, and through the Danmen Tunnel, we soon reach our destination—a little-known East China Sea prairie hidden in the unique landscape where mountains meet the sea.
Twenty years ago, Xiangshan County implemented a land reclamation project, constructing a dam between Dawanshan and Xiyangshan to the north and south.
The reclaimed mudflat pasture spans nearly a thousand acres. Over the years, this rare East China Sea prairie has retained its natural, unspoiled pastoral landscape, serving as a habitat for cattle and seabirds.
The station is located on the south side of the prairie, next to the road leading to Wangjialan Village, backed by the remnants of Dawanshan.
Once completed, the station will serve as a transit hub connecting the southern coastal highway and the Damuyang coastal area, and a vital gateway for exploring this mysterious coastal prairie landscape.
LANDSCAPE AND VIEWING
Faced with a vast wilderness, “viewing” is not a challenge. The core design consideration is how the scenery, filtered through the “architectural container,” presents itself as a unique experience—it first appears as a screen, then a window, followed by a corridor, and finally, a high platform.
Traveling east along Wangjialan Village Road, the East China Sea prairie is always in full view, appearing somewhat plain.
We envision planting a row of ginkgo trees in the center of the station site, like a wall standing in nature.
It will block the oppressive presence of the southern mountain and obstruct our view of the prairie from the road, acting as the screen we set up, creating a “suspense” in viewing.
The station is divided into two areas based on function, with reception, retail, and public restrooms near the road and a light dining area hidden behind the trees.
The two areas are at different elevations—one level with the road and the other elevated over the prairie.
The outdoor walkway connecting the two areas is framed by walls and a roof, resembling a narrow window that accurately frames a corner of the prairie scenery, like stepping into a painting. As you turn to the corridor, the view opens up, and the vast prairie unfolds before you.
Following the spiral staircase at the end, you ascend to the platform and look up at the clouds.
“Initially narrow, barely allowing passage, then after several steps, suddenly it opens up.” The landscape remains unchanged, yet the viewing experience becomes entirely new.
The main building uses a steel structure with an array of steel columns and walls. The curtain walls and interior floors are noticeably detached, directly supporting the undulating concrete slabs of the roof.
The steel structure forms a clear skeleton, with other elements filled in while maintaining independence.
The continuous concrete slabs inside resemble a reflector, with lights installed on the curtain wall skeleton projecting upwards, providing even indoor illumination through diffuse reflection.
During construction, we stayed on-site, repeatedly adjusting the color of the terrazzo, like rendering a canvas.
After several samples, we chose a beige exposed aggregate concrete and a light blue terrazzo as flooring materials for the two areas.
The exposed aggregate concrete is rough and primitive, like an extension of the rocky landscape, while the terrazzo is calm and smooth, shimmering in the sunlight, echoing the distant Damuyang.
We selected Siberian larch as the primary wall material, with a mottled texture and gentle touch to offset the traces of new construction. We hope the station won’t appear too new upon completion and won’t look too old over time.
A LITTLE REFLECTION-
When these photos were taken, the station had just been completed and was about to be put into use. The marks of life will settle it.
After more than thirty trips over two years, it has long been more than just a “project to be done well.” Having endured the tests of sun, rain, and time, we hope it can provide a sustained quality, offering people generous and dignified public life.
