Conceived by Archermit for the 2024 Chengdu International Horticultural Expo, the Xingcheng Exhibition Garden rests within Chengdu’s Eastern New District in China, beckoning visitors with its poetic resonance of Western Sichuan's culture and natural landscape. Shaped by this region’s traditional aesthetics, the garden pavilion proffers tranquillity amid nature, its form infused with the local significance and symbolism of bamboo and lotus to reflect on humanity’s relationship with the earth. Built around the theme Park City, Beautiful Habitat, the pavilion design blends architectural minimalism with artful references to the regional flora, emphasising sustainable design paradigms through its use of low-carbon materials that align with the Expo's green ethos.

Led by Archermit’s principal architect Youcai Pan and design director Zhe Yang, the Chinese architecture adopts an understated yet evocative approach that diverges from common horticultural pavilions. “We hoped to foster a space that honours the contemplative beauty of the natural world, where architecture acts not as a showpiece but as an inseparable extension of its surroundings,” Pan notes. Echoing the characteristics of Western Sichuan gardens, Archermit’s structure nods to the area’s iconic sites, such as the Du Fu Thatched Cottage and Xindu Guihu Park, both of which evoke simplicity, grace and the beauty of a natural context.

A Dragon Gate entry

A pavilion architecture's layered journey begins at the entrance—marked by a subtle ‘Dragon Gate’, a structure modelled to appear like a well-worn book opening to welcome visitors. Nestled within a bamboo grove, this conspicuous gate marks the first step into the exhibition garden. Grey-tiled and evocatively hidden, it invites guests into a lush sanctuary, with paths winding through bamboo clusters and shaded by overarching lotus leaves, each intentionally designed to channel the spiritual significance of traditional Sichuan gardens.

In Chengdu, bamboo and lotus ponds are ubiquitous, symbolic features, representing resilience and grace across classical gardens. Referencing the same, the Chinese architects used the imagery of ‘Lotus Leaves Standing Gracefully’ to inform the volume, crafting an architectural lotus leaf canopy that captures both the literal and metaphorical meanings of a sanctuary. Beneath this oversized leaf grows a bamboo grove—poles extending outward as veins of the lotus plant, connecting and grounding the design in intents both artistic and ecological.

“The main building of the exhibition follows the principle of garden-first, with architecture as a scenic feature. It is hoped to create a transparent, light, elegant and artistic landscape building, making the building the highlight of the exhibition garden,” the project’s description relays.

The Pavilion as a Rainwater Collector

One of the most distinctive features of the architectural pavilion is its integrated rainwater collection system, designed as a homage to Chengdu’s wet, temperate climate. With its hollowed core, the salient lotus-leaf roof channels rainwater towards a central pond, accumulating rainfall to create a reflective pool. This feature nods to the ancient Maha Lake of Chengdu where lotus ponds once flourished, and serves as both a functional and poetic symbol of renewal. Rainfall, descending from the canopy’s centre, becomes more than just an architectural quirk—it aligns the form’s function with the local hydrology, symbolising Xingcheng Group’s philosophy of gathering diverse talents to foster collective wisdom and prosperity.

The outer walls of the 99sqm main building are clad in ultra-white, floor-to-ceiling glass that dissolves the boundaries between the structure and the exhibition garden. Inside, this transparency enhances the presence of the central bamboo grove, fostering a conscious immersion within nature. Reflecting Western Sichuan folk architecture, the pavilion also incorporates long, thin and gently sloping eaves alongside grey-tiled roofs, creating an earthy, elegant appearance.

Designed with modern parametric technology, the roof incorporates eco-friendly materials such as recyclable steel and raw bamboo to form a structure that honours ancient as well as modern craftsmanship. Local straw bricks and rattan furniture designs dress the interior design, the latter sourced from Huaiyuan, Chongzhou—a region recognised for its traditional bamboo craftsmanship and celebrated as part of China’s intangible cultural heritage. The design team initially envisioned a hybrid structure of raw and laminated bamboo but pivoted to steel due to time and cost constraints, supplementing the pavilion with bamboo art installations which add a dynamic visual rhythm and cultural authenticity to the project.

“Western Sichuan gardens are not only for leisure and sightseeing but also often carry deep spiritual and commemorative significance.  We hope that this small building, inspired by lotus and bamboo, will allow visitors to grasp its symbolic meaning and inner spirit after their visit. It aims to awaken a shared cultural sensibility unique to the Chinese people,” shares Archermit.

A dialogue with(in) nature

The Xingcheng Exhibition Garden by Archermit encapsulates the cultural significance of Western Sichuan gardens in its spaces for contemplation and retreat, a thoughtful design blending aesthetic and functional elements. More than a showcase, this pavilion reflects a deep-rooted cultural spirit, echoing the landscape it draws inspiration from. It encourages visitors to pause, look up through the lotus leaf and appreciate the simplicity of form and function in a cohesive setting.

“The indoor floor of the exhibition hall has sunk 0.6 meters. When visitors sit down, their line of sight is slightly higher than the water surface of the pond. The water and sky are the same colour and they can take in the beautiful scenery reflected in the water. Forests, fields, water and houses are intertwined and integrated throughout the building, both inside and outside,” shares the design team.

As Chengdu opened its gates for the international horticultural event, the Xingcheng Garden became a symbol of cross-temporal connection—a contemporary architecture rooted in age-old philosophies of balance and harmony with nature. Pan and his team have crafted a pavilion that stands as a testament to the enduring resonance of Sichuan’s landscape, inspiring future dialogues on sustainable architecture within urban contexts.

Project Details

Name: Xingcheng Exhibition Garden
Location: Chengdu World Horticultural Expo, Eastern New District, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
Typology: Exhibition pavilion
Client: Chengdu Xingcheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.
Architect: Archermit
Design Team: Youcai Pan (principal architect), Zhe Yang (design director), Renzhen Chen (technical director), Rui Yang, Qinmei Hu, Yuanjun Gou, Yuting Huang, Yudan Luo
Collaborators: School of Landscape Architecture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu Manshidi Horticultural Co., Ltd.
Area: 99 sqm
Year of Completion: 2024