In the spring mountains there were many spots worth seeing,
I forgot to return from my enjoyment though night fell.
In my hands that held water clear the moon seemed glowing,
The caress of flowers steeped my clothes with sweet smell.
My mood for sightseeing lasted in spite of the distance,
I tried to leave but hated to part with the fragrance.
Looking southward at the place where the bell was tolling,
I saw in the deep of dark green the bell house standing.
“Moon Over the Spring Mountain” by poet of the Tang Dynasty (618–907) Yu Liangshi

Literature and pavilion architecture have always been closely connected in China. The images evoked by literature become tangible through the visual relationships between landscapes and buildings. 

The project in Hongqiao Park of Guangming District in Shenzhen is embedded in an enchanting natural environment with lush vegetation and majestic mountains. The sloping terrain of the site is typical of the Lingnan-Litschi forests of the region. The new interventions are inserted between garden paths and the waterfront promenade and integrated into the existing vegetation, with the mountains in the background and the water in the foreground. The buildings connect the various functional areas and offer panoramic views of the surrounding landscape. 

The former BMX sports park was transformed into a large public park in recent years. At the entrance area from the city side, NODE was awarded the contract for two pavilion buildings containing public services. Although not yet fully open, the park is already very popular with cosplayers, who have popularized the locations through their online reports. The two pavilions by NODE employ contrasting spatial organizational models: the circular Sunshine Loft is spatially minimal like a compact object, while the Moon Pavilion encloses a garden courtyard in the style and structure of a traditional Lingnan garden. They are planned as small public facilities that clearly stand out from other sports facilities in the park and offer cultural, artistic and recreational spaces.

The architects designed the Sunshine Loft as a circular building, as planning law only permitted a minimal buildable area. The topography of the site, which slopes down to the lake, was left unaltered and equipped with rows of seats that open towards the surroundings. The pavilion stands on three V-shaped supports and is connected to the park landscape via an uncovered ramp and a staircase from the first floor where there is a small coffee bar and a bookshop together with open-air recreational areas. In moving through it, the entire building seems to unfold like a scroll painting, thereby emphasizing the coherence of the spaces and the circulation flow.

The V-shaped supports have a concrete base and an upper steel structure that hold up the two upper floors and the accessible roof. Located on the second floor is a diamond-shaped lounge used for meetings, exhibitions and lectures. In order to have an unobstructed view of the lake and the wider landscape from here, this floor is suspended from the roof by cables. The roof platform is completely open and offers a panoramic view of the surrounding landscape and the distant mountains. 

Parts of the façade are clad with a corrugated and perforated metal grid that is reminiscent of a curtain and creates a translucent atmosphere. The design is characterized by a flowing skin and different spatial depths that not only promote interaction with the surroundings but also create visual layers. The use of perforated cladding helps to regulate heat and daylight within the pavilion. The effective shading and ventilation keep the interior cool in hot summers, ensuring comfort and (energy) sustainability.

The Moon Pavilion is located just a few meters from the Sunshine Loft, as part of the composition of pavilions within a topographical setting with connecting walkways that borrows from the traditional imagery of the Lingnan garden. The height of the pavilion was limited so as to achieve a largely unrestricted view of the landscape from the footpath above. Covered corridors connect the two buildings on two levels around a garden courtyard, in a manner reminiscent of a Möbius strip or M. C. Escher’s staircase paintings. Along the covered walkways, views to the surrounding are framed through a circular moon gate or as a visual sequence of garden compositions of local stones and trees that were adapted during the construction process to create striking images. 

Techniques such as ‘borrowed backdrops’, contrasting views and framed vistas introduce visual complexity. This approach not only enhances the ‘viewing’ experience but also deepens the spatial hierarchy and enjoyment. The two-story pavilion houses a café and tearooms, and the three-story pavilion is used for exhibitions. 

Fair-faced concrete is the building material used here, with a fine-grained relief achieved with wooden formwork. The selection and use of timber formwork for the construction posed a major technical challenge on site. The production of 1:1 sample panels was necessary to test for variations in water absorption and grain patterns. 

The pavilions designed by Doreen Heng Liu and NODE and their integration into the landscape are inspired by the memory of historical models of the Lingnan Gardens, which in turn were created as close representations of garden imagery in literature. These connections are a constitutive element of a local building culture that this architecture celebrates. Each of the distinctive spatial models for the two pavilions also celebrates the idea of the Promenade Architecturale. The Sunshine Loft and the Moon Pavilion serve as places for public art and strengthen the connection between people and nature and between architecture and the environment. In the interplay of sun and moon, architecture and art complement each other and create a poetic and contemplative environment for new experiences.