Paper Roof

As uncomplicated and unpretentious as a piece of paper – that’s the canopy roof that defines our reception center in Bin Hai. The upswept corners are a feature of ancient Chinese buildings and were believed to be auspicious, alongside their function in deflecting rainwater. The diagonal beams of the center’s roof form a mesh that references a forest canopy, sheltering the glass pavilion beneath with dappled shade like the branches of a tree.

Standing on slender legs, the roof rises to 18.5 meters at its tallest point, and extends over an area of 30 x 50 m – defining the outside deck some five meters beyond the perimeter of the pavilion. This gesture anchors the airy, transparent pavilion to the site.

Made not from paper but from powder-coated steel, Paper Roof’s canopy appears weightless by coloring it in the same blue as the sky: the color of heaven. In contrast, the dark horizontals of the pavilion moor it firmly into the ground beneath. An elegant statement, it stands on long legs that are just 50cm thick and rises at the front in a friendly gesture towards both visitors and the nearby lake. The roof structure was welded together on site – the curved sections being prefabricated – and then finished by hand to create a smoothly polished surface. The same high level of finishing was applied to the near seamless glass facade of the pavilion.