New Pastoralism Lecture Hall / SYN Architects China

Architects: SYN Architects China
Area: 1618 m²
Year: 2014
Photographs: BenMo Studio / Ming Yan
Manufacturers: NOVOFIBRE
Construction: Huacheng Boyuan Construction Engineering Co.Ltd.
Architect-in-Charge: Yingxi Zou
Design Team: Jiansheng Liu, Yang Xie
Cilent: New Pastoralism Investment Co.Ltd.
City: Wuxi
Country: China

New Pastoralism’s Lecture Hall, designed by SYN Architects, is located in Yangshan, Wuxi, within China’s first pastoral complex in Jiangsu Province. This 1,618 m² building integrates seamlessly into the pastoral landscape, reflecting the cultural richness of its surroundings and the site’s history as a bamboo forest. The triangular structure incorporates indoor and outdoor spaces, with bamboo stems forming a hyperbolic shape that enhances transparency, air circulation, and visual permeability. Steel framing, sunlight panels, and arched roof elements ensure natural light and structural lightness. Bamboo is used extensively in vertical supports, lamps, façades, and strawboard features, treated to improve durability and reduce maintenance. Recycled floor tiles demonstrate a commitment to sustainability, complementing bamboo’s role as a symbol of ecological design. The project harmonizes architecture with its environment, unifying modernity and tradition while promoting sustainable principles, creating a dialogue between urban and rural dimensions.

New Pastoralism Lecture Hall / SYN Architects China

Indeed, bamboo is like a man of virtue. From deep and resolute roots, straight and honorable stems extend toward the sky. When a gentleman contemplates the nature of bamboo, only a feeling of integrity can come to mind.

– Planting Bamboos, by Bai Juyi

For centuries, Chinese writers and poets have celebrated bamboo, recognizing its beauty and significance in meticulously crafted gardens. Through their works, they cultivated a rich cultural history, steeped in unique textures and artistic expression. Located in Yangshan, a town near Wuxi, New Pastoralism’s Lecture Hall incorporates bamboo as the central element in its architectural design.

Project Location
New Pastoralism’s Complex in Yangshan, Wuxi, is celebrated as China’s first pastoral complex. Situated in Jiangsu Province in Southern China, Yangshan is renowned for its honey peaches, which are grown in the suburban areas of Wuxi near the Taihu Lake coastline. Serving as the complex’s centerpiece, New Pastoralism’s Lecture Hall is located at the park’s heart, seamlessly blending with the pastoral landscape as though it naturally emerged from the surroundings.

The venue consists of three distinct areas: an indoor space, an outdoor recreation area, and an extension leading to a vast green landscape, covering a total area of 1,618 square meters. As the site was originally a bamboo forest, architect Mr. Zou Yingxi preserved its foundational essence, fostering a connection between the Lecture Hall and its natural surroundings. By using ecological materials, the design expresses and reinforces the concept of the “Site of the Pastoralism’s Declaration” through the building’s features.

The Structure
The building features an irregular triangular form, seamlessly integrating the indoor and outdoor sections of the Lecture Hall into a grey structure positioned at the center of the park’s view. The contour of the space it occupies aligns with the hypotenuse of its triangular shape. Bamboo stems connect the upper and lower sections, arranged in crossed patterns that create a hyperbolic shape. This design penetrates the line of vision, producing a transparent space with a dynamic and pulsating atmosphere. From every perspective, the Lecture Hall displays distinct and well-balanced architectural characteristics.

The Materials
“Lightness” defines the Lecture Hall, characterized by its lightweight materials and agile structure. The building’s steel framework supports arched upper elements, enhancing the roof’s transparency to “give way” to the sky. Sunlight panels allow natural light to flood the interior, while fish beam structures address span challenges effectively. Bamboo serves as a protective element, arranged vertically in a visually striking sequence that mimics a rope structure. This arrangement generates reverse tension, achieving a balance of opposing forces and stabilizing the overall structure.

Materials Selection
The project is centered on the concept of “integration,” uniting landscapes, people, architecture, and the environment with materials and the surrounding scenery. The extensive use of bamboo elements does not hinder air circulation or flow, as the spacing and slender dimensions of the stems create a sense of “permeability” and harmony. This design merges the pastoral landscape with the structure, evoking an open and inviting atmosphere. Bamboo serves as a bridge to the environment, providing a sense of security while preserving visual aesthetics. The Lecture Hall exudes a distinctive aura, appearing to grow naturally from the ground like an organic, unobtrusive living entity.

Sustainability / Environmentally Friendly
The consistent use of bamboo throughout the project underscores its ecological focus. The hollow structure of bamboo is ingeniously utilized to suspend elegant bamboo lamps, while bamboo and wood are combined to extend the bar. Furthermore, bamboo and strawboards are incorporated into the façade. The architect elevates bamboo from a simple, local resource to a powerful expressive medium, embodying sustainability in architectural design.

The bamboo used in the project underwent specialized treatments, including straightening through drying and lacquering, to enhance its quality and durability while significantly reducing maintenance costs. Furthermore, the floor of the Lecture Hall incorporates recycled tiles, demonstrating respect for nature and a commitment to sustainability. This aligns with the architect’s principle of fostering responsibility for the future by “allowing architecture to interact with its surrounding environment over the course of time.”

“The final interpretation of a building is realized by filling its empty spaces with purposeful content. Here, this involves utilizing natural materials to define real spaces within the void, where every aspect of reality complements the emptiness simultaneously.” By harmoniously blending seemingly incompatible design philosophies with the principles of pastoralism, the designer achieves an extraordinary fusion of urban and rural elements, creating a groundbreaking concept of sustainable architecture.