Eschewing consumerist architectural trends, our design approach seeks to embrace nature, integrate built form with landscape, reinforce the unique settings created within the park and ultimately create attractive landmark buildings that are relevant to both the regional cultural heritage and the contemporary global social and cultural milieu…

Project: Dianshan Lake North Shore Park Pavilions, 2010

Location: Dianshan Lake Town, China

Sponsor: Dianshan Lake Town

Building Area: 5,450 sm

Program: visitor center (education and exhibition), pavilions, cafés, restaurant, clubhouse     

Architect:  Ojanen_Chiou Architects LLP

Master Planner and Landscape Architect: MEYER + SILBERBERG | LAND ARCHITECTS

Situated at the edge of Dianshan Lake, the largest freshwater lake in the Shanghai area, this is a collection of pavilions that we designed as part of the master plan and landscape design of the Dianshan Lake North Shore Park by MEYER + SILBERBERG LAND ARCHITECTS, with the goal of establishing a unique identity for the township and create a leisure and recreation destination for the local community as well as tourists from Shanghai, Kunshan, Suzhou, and beyond.

In contrast to the pseudo “European” or “Chinese”-style private and public developments that have become popular in this area, the park buildings were designed to establish a narrative that speaks about place and context rather than resorting to pastiche and historicist clichés. 

The character of each building is an expression of its function as informed by local conditions in relation to the master plan while a contemporary architectural language and coordinated materials palette of metal, stone, wood and glass become the unifying elements. The overall style is organized according to various motifs inspired by the natural char­acteristics of the site, i.e. the interaction of wind and water, and the unique native flora such as the Twin Lotus and Dawn Redwoods that occur along the lakefront and within the wetland areas.