dodesign sculpts pavilion and staircase in China’s mountains
DoDesign unveils Drifting Stones: The Stacks & The Hut, a sculptural intervention nestled within the secluded mountain valleys of Chongqing, China. A stacked stone staircase and a stone pavilion compose this project, conceived as a meditative retreat within a private residence. These two architectural elements engage in poetic dialogue with the surrounding cliffs, streams, and boulders. Visitors can ascend the layered rock formations of The Stacks to take in sweeping views of the landscape or step into The Hut, where mirrored surfaces unite built space and nature. The project fuses raw materiality with contemporary elements like glass and steel, creating an immersive spatial experience.
all images by Arch-Exist Photography, unless stated otherwise
veined granite boulder inspires Drifting Stones project
The Drifting Stones project was not initially planned but emerged from a serendipitous encounter with a massive, naturally positioned rock during a site visit. This horizontally veined granite boulder, resting in the center of the valley, evoked the aura of a lost artifact, inspiring the architects at DoDesign to turn it into a contemplative resting space. The team aims to create an architectural presence that blends and contrasts with nature at the same time, embodying the concept of ‘extraordinary nature.’
Due to the site’s constraints, the project employed an artificial stone construction method, using a steel framework coated with a cement surface mixed with local stone powder. Skilled artisans meticulously chiseled textures into the material, echoing the patterns of the surrounding rock formations. The interplay of raw, weighty stone and reflective, ephemeral mirrors creates a striking contrast that accentuates the dialogue between nature and the built environment.
DoDesign unveils Drifting Stones: The Stacks & The Hut
The Stacks & The Hut disappear into the landscape
The Stacks consists of ten stacked stone slabs, arranged to create a walkable path with a rhythmic ascent from the stream’s edge to the mountain wall, with the final slabs projecting outward in a delicate cantilever. Beneath the stone staircase, a concealed reception space enclosed by frameless glass offers panoramic views of the valley. Mirrored cladding on selected structural elements creates the illusion of weightlessness, making parts of the architecture visually dissolve into their surroundings.
Set apart from the staircase, The Hut completes DoDesign’s Drifting Stones project. Accessible via a cobblestone pathway and functioning as a secluded restroom pavilion, its fully mirrored surfaces reflect the dense foliage, rendering it almost invisible within the forest. A massive six-meter-long boulder seems to float above the structure, forming the roof. Below, a semi-outdoor washbasin is illuminated by a skylight, a subtle reference to the natural erosion of stone by water over time.
this sculptural intervention is nestled within the secluded mountain valleys of Chongqing, China
a stacked stone staircase and a stone pavilion compose this project
conceived as a meditative retreat within a private residence
these two architectural elements engage in poetic dialogue with the surrounding cliffs, streams, and boulders