Floral Wander Loop

English description provided by the architects.

A thousand years ago, the renowned Northern Song literary giant Su Shi was banished to Huizhou and might have paced back and forth along this very river, drawing on the Lingnan landscape and customs to pen his "Sixteen Joys of Life in Huizhou."

These pavilions form a collection entitled the "Nankunshan-Luofushan Rim Pioneer Zone Architectural Art Project". Our project "Floral Wander Loop", is one of these pavilions—the Tiegang River Pavilion.

Diverging from the conventional rest area experience, it instead stimulates visitors' physical instincts through variations in spatial sequence. In his later years, Su Shi encapsulated his life with the verse: "When asked about my life's achievements, I point to Huangzhou, Huizhou, and Danzhou."

We have thus distilled his experiences and reflections in these three places into a spatial experience—from being initially confused and powerless to being ultimately at peace—mirroring the twists and turns of Su Shi's life.

Here, the modern transportation network and the eternally flowing river run parallel to each other, subtly evoking the passage of time.

Therefore, the new building introduced between the road and the river must embody the character of the bamboo grove—serving as a spatial interface that separates these two vast continuities.

We aligned the circulation of visitors with the flow of vehicles and the river, shaping the building into an elongated loop—the same path departs and returns, where space narrows and widens, eventually circling back.

PLEASANT

Following the natural topography, the entrance plaza is situated at a point with pronounced elevation changes. Paved with gravel and defined by bamboo groves and seating, it provides access to functional areas such as the water bar and restrooms.

The entrance space is spacious, tranquil, and relaxing—an atmosphere reminiscent of Su Shi's youthful years embarking on his official career, when the path ahead appeared smooth and unobstructed, much like a gentle breeze carrying a rosy future.

From this plaza, visitors begin their route from the high point and descend into a narrowing metallic passage.

POWERLESS

The main building is constructed with weathering steel panels. Narrow boxes measuring 2.1m in height and 1.2m in width are arranged in a staggered parallel configuration, linked to form a passageway while maintaining lateral tolerance for minor deformation.

To effectively address site drainage, 1 cm thick steel plates were used on the foundations as supports to raise the boxes, creating a deliberate gap between the structure and the natural ground.

As a result, the linear architectural volume does not sever the site in two—rainwater can pass beneath the building, following the natural topography into the river, while vegetation remains connected across the site.

This experience is like that of Su Dongpo, who, after being suddenly impeached and exiled to Huangzhou, was trapped in indescribable confusion and utterly devoid of autonomy.

The passageway is dim, and those moving through it cannot escape the influence of the weather outside. Sunlight, wind, and raindrops permeate alternately through the narrow gaps between the boxes.

Whether one pauses inside or runs through the passage, the sunlight or rain remains distinctly perceptible.

Serendipitous. Amid Huizhou's lingering mists, Su Shi found solace in nature's embrace. Just as travelers pass through the sounds of roaring traffic and murmuring rivers, the end of the elongated passageway reveals a vibrant light that awaits.

In the circular pavilion, artist Chen Zhuo's floral installation—inspired by landscape boulders—is arranged along the curved space, its vibrant colors diffused by random hairline finish stainless steel, creating a dazzling, psychedelic radiance.

Here, the experience reaches its turning point. Visitors sit among the floral arrangement, where delight is liberated from the sway and constraints of the boxes.

EXPANSIVE

After being exiled yet again in his sixties, Su Shi arrived in Danzhou—farther and farther from the former centers of prosperity.

The space transitions from cramped to airy, where the deepening rust and color on the weathering steel panels abruptly end. When visitors arrive at the river' s edge, a row of swings facing the water sways gently.

Having grasped the full context of that moment, one feels a liberating clarity—finally generating Su Shi's transcendent detachment. Beyond the passageway, visitors and local villagers mingle along the bank, wading, daydreaming, or fishing. The scenery opens up, and wind, water, and people all breathe in freedom.

Yet, through it all, only the riverside breeze remains, unchanging through all ages. Thus, the energy from Su Shi a millennium ago ultimately resonates along this riverbank—where the Su Shi who arrived in Huizhou centuries past and visitors today connect across time within the same space.