The Tianfu Habitat Pavilion has officially opened in Chengdu, China, serving as one of the main exhibition venues for the International Horticultural Exhibition 2024 Chengdu. Designed by the China Southwest Architectural Design and Research Institute (CSWADI), the pavilion features a distinctive design with circular rooftops that create interlocking gardens integrated into the natural landscape.
Situated on a gently sloping hillside, the pavilion's design reflects Chengdu's rich cultural heritage and unique geography within the Sichuan Basin. Rather than imposing on the natural terrain, the low-profile structure blends seamlessly with its surroundings, organizing its various functions through interconnected courtyards that celebrate Chengdu's long-standing traditions of community gathering and shared cultural rituals.
The circular motif forms the foundation of the pavilion's architectural concept, drawing inspiration from Chengdu's cultural identity and natural environment. These circular geometries, commonly found in the city's communal dining practices, traditional tea ceremonies, and historic residential layouts, have been reimagined as modern architectural elements that guide visitor movement and define different activity zones throughout the complex.
The design incorporates three overlapping circular rings, each representing a distinct aspect of Chengdu's cultural landscape: the courtyard, lotus pond, and bamboo hills. These interconnected spaces create immersive environments that bridge domestic-scale architecture with broader landscape design, transforming familiar cultural symbols into contemporary architectural expressions that resonate with both locals and visitors.
The courtyard serves as the pavilion's symbolic heart, establishing the structure as a modern interpretation of traditional Western Sichuan residential architecture. This central space accommodates a carefully orchestrated sequence of sensory experiences including viewing, listening, tasting, and ascending, which layer cultural traditions with clear architectural functionality. The fan-shaped exhibition hall, supported by an innovative steel framework, offers flexible configurations that can be adapted for various future uses beyond the horticultural exhibition.
The exhibition hall's ceiling pays homage to traditional Sichuan bamboo weaving techniques through folded aluminum panels that create a continuous textural connection between interior and exterior spaces. Adjacent to the main hall, a dual-sided performance stage provides a dedicated platform for traditional Sichuan opera performances and local storytelling. The stage's open design extends performances naturally into the courtyard space, allowing audiences to enjoy cultural presentations from both indoor seating areas and outdoor gathering spaces.
A bamboo-framed tea room, modeled after Chengdu's historic Heming Teahouse, lines the courtyard's perimeter and offers visitors the opportunity to sit, drink traditional tea, and observe performances. This space reinforces the social and contemplative functions that courtyards have traditionally served in Chinese culture. A gently inclined pathway rises along the circular perimeter, inviting visitors to ascend to an elevated rooftop promenade that provides panoramic views across the entire site and surrounding landscape.
Water features prominently in the design through the lotus pond, which reflects the agricultural and cultural significance of Chengdu's rural landscapes and water-rich environment. A slender walkway crosses the water body, creating multiple vantage points for visitors to observe the pond under different lighting conditions throughout the day. Floating platforms, artistically designed to resemble stylized lotus leaves, serve as unique dining spaces where visitors can gather for traditional hotpot meals, extending the theme of communal life into an aquatic setting.
The lotus pond operates both as a powerful symbolic reference to local culture and as a functional environment that emphasizes Chengdu's deep-rooted tradition of connecting food, water, and social rituals. This integration demonstrates how contemporary architecture can honor historical practices while creating new opportunities for cultural engagement and community building.
Beyond the pond area, the pavilion extends thoughtfully into the natural hillside, where carefully planted bamboo groves and small guest inns create a retreat-like environment designed for long-term use after the horticultural exhibition concludes. The extensive use of bamboo as both a cultural emblem and sustainable building material reinforces the site's connection to local environmental and cultural traditions.
Guest rooms within the bamboo hills section open toward dense green slopes, framing uninterrupted views of the forested terrain and creating a seamless connection between built and natural environments. Below the accommodation areas, a natural stream winds its way downhill, feeding a series of outdoor pools and indoor hot springs specifically designed to host year-round bathing rituals that are popular in the region.
These water features and accommodation facilities give the pavilion enduring functionality beyond its role as an exhibition venue, allowing it to evolve into a permanent destination for cultural and ecological tourism in Chengdu. Through its innovative interlocking geometry and thoughtful programming, the Tianfu Habitat Pavilion successfully translates the abstract cultural motif of the circle into tangible built form, with each programmatic zone symbolizing and celebrating particular traditions that define Chengdu's unique cultural identity.
