Wetland Research and Education Center
Shanghai CN
Atelier Z+
2020
Type
Research
Tags
new ecological paradigm, spaces for science , protected biodiversity
Visitability
Allowed
Description
This project is part of the environmental restoration plan for the Chongming Dongtan wetland, a site of particular importance for migratory birds of the Asia Pacific area. In this effort to bring the wetland back to life, the project provides the site with a space to reflect on the ecosystem and contribute to environmental research and public awareness. The complex consists of five buildings – the main one of which houses a conference hall and an exhibition hall. The layout of the buildings is based on the repetition of a Y-shaped section inspired by Chinese valleys, which are of great importance for the understanding of the relationship between human and nature in the Chinese tradition. This recurring feature generates a flexible spatiality with the capacity for growth. The complex appears in the landscape as a solid infrastructure that can withstand the salinity and humidity of the environment. In short, it is a construction that is at the service of human beings, but which will also be occupied by the real protagonists of the ecosystem when the environmental restoration process is complete.