Jiaxin Zhao

见山 - The Place for The Mountain

Structure, Tectonic, Atmosphere

Located in the northern region of China, Shanxi is a province enriched with profound historical significance. Renowned for its abundance of heritage sites, it holds the largest number of China's immovable cultural relics. With the objective of articulating a path of inheriting history and culture through the contemporary lenses of architectural design. This thesis is situated as an experimental architectural design in Shanxi province. Specifically, this study focuses on understanding how architectural design can embody the essence of history and culture through the scope of construction principles.

To anchor this thesis within a rich historic and cultural context. The chosen site is Xuan Kong Si, Datong, Shanxi, PRC. A scenery area of an ancient Chinese architectural relic. Through studying the local construction material—rammed earth, and intervening in its original framework, a hybrid double wall system has been devised. This system goes beyond mere replication of symbolic forms or ancient construction techniques. Instead, it incorporates a modern structural approach that reminisces history and culture through its construction technique and form.

As this design serves as a prototypical architecture, its function has been distilled to the barebone of architecture—a space for people to rest. The plan arrangement adopts the Si He Yuan typology, a traditional Northern Chinese courtyard design. Alongside the strategic wall placements, visitors can freely flow through the space with ease. Due to the double wall system, the interior space is dim but not dark, serene but not silent, enclosed but not isolated. 

On-site, two architectural paradigms coexist: an ancient Chinese architectural relic and a modern resting space. One with complex geometric shapes, and the other is a simple box. Despite these two utterly different styles, history and culture tie them together, allowing these two architectures to communicate across a span of two thousand years.

Model Group

Traditional Traveling Framework - Detail

Wall System - Elevation

Wall System - Detail 01

Wall System - Detail 02