MVRDV Completes the Pujiang Platform, an Earth-Covered Timber Retreat

MVRDV completes the ‘Pujiang Platform,’ a striking architecture nestled within the hills of Chengdu, blending gently with the landscapes, yet standing as an iconic contrast with the surrounding landscape of central China. Shaped as an iconic arched form, the timber pavilion is covered with earth. The pavilion primarily maximizes the framing of sweeping views through a signature window and a cantilevered balcony that extends toward the slope, inviting people to pause, gather, and connect with nature.

Set within the hills east of Pujiang, a once simple lookout with sweeping views of the town and the Qionglai Mountains has been thoughtfully reimagined by MVRDV. Commissioned by the Pujiang County Planning and Resources Bureau, the project transforms the landscapes into a scenic public destination and versatile event space for community gatherings, weddings, or civic ceremonies. Rooted in its natural setting, the architecture reflects Pujiang’s vision for a sustainable, high-quality way of life while inviting visitors to pause, gather, and connect with the landscape.

The design emerged from the realization that the original hill had been flattened to create a viewing platform, inspiring MVRDV to restore its presence through architecture. An arched pavilion, wrapped in an earth berm, gently merges back into the landscape, echoing the hill’s former silhouette. The design also improves the path to the viewpoints by adding multiple routes, including an opportunity for a secondary viewing platform incorporated into a twisting staircase structure.

The pavilion is conceived as a fully timber-built structure, operating simultaneously as architecture and manifesto. More than a formal gesture, the exposed wooden system becomes a structural argument, positioning timber as a robust, expressive, and contemporary construction material within China’s building culture.

By foregrounding wood’s tectonic clarity and environmental performance, the project questions long-standing industry reluctance and points toward a construction future where timber plays a central role in reducing the carbon footprint of the built environment.

The pavilion’s architecture is defined by a striking 10-meter-tall glass façade on its southeast side, embedded within the earth berm to frame expansive views. The façade utilizes oversized sliding doors that dissolve the boundary between inside and out, opening the interior directly onto a projecting viewing balcony. Within the space, the mirrors reflect the natural terrain, with the roof rising as the floor slopes downward, creating a fluid experience that feels connected with the landscape.

MVRDV approached the pavilion with a deep respect for its surrounding dramatic hillside setting, aimed to frame the views without overpowering the landscape, as noted by partner Jacob van Rijs. Crafted from eco-conscious timber and crowned with an earth-covered green roof, the architecture settles gently into the terrain. The green roof helps provide natural insulation, thermal mass, and layered ventilation that helps reduce environmental impact while keeping the interiors comfortable.

The pavilion’s landscape is carefully integrated into its natural mountain surroundings, thoughtfully designed with planting that complements the site’s existing biodiversity. A 10-centimeter-deep earth berm crowns the roof, supporting a unique variety of grasses, flowers, and shrubs that help the structure quietly blend into the hills. Sustainable practices have been implemented, from rainwater collection and irrigation from existing waterways to a low-carbon timber structure. The design reflects a thoughtful balance between ecological sensitivity and architecture.

The design thoughtfully weaves in the site’s existing pathways, enhanced by a sculptural staircase that gently guides visitors upward. At the top, a circular secondary viewing platform opens to sweeping 360-degree vistas, embracing the distant mountain ranges and the intimate beauty of the surrounding landscape.

The solar heat gain within the interiors is kept to a minimum due to the north-facing orientation of the large window. The direct sunlight from outdoors can mostly be avoided with the roof overhang and surrounding trees that protect the smaller entrance wall.