Suizhou Baimei Station / UP Architecture

Architects: UP Architecture
Area: 336 m²
Year: 2023
Photographs: ArchiTranslator
Manufacturers: Gree, Jiazhu Glulam
Lead Architects: Chao Zhou
Design Team: Kechao Deng, Junxian Luo, Ding Xie, Yazhuo Wa, Fumin Guo
Client: China Foundation for Rural Development, Luoyang Town People’s Government of Zengdu District, Suizhou City
Construction: Wood-Frame Assembly
City: Suizhou
Country: China

Baimei Station, a rural public space in Suizhou, China, designed by UP Architecture, exemplifies the harmonious integration of cultural, exhibition, and activity spaces into the rural landscape. This project, a collaborative effort by the China Foundation for Rural Development, was completed in 2023 and spans an area of 336 m². Baimei Station features two buildings constructed in sequence; the first in May 2022 and the second in 2023, each preserving the site’s original contours while introducing modern elements like a timber frame structure without columns and a view box to enhance the connection with the surroundings. This development aims to coexist with the daily life of the villagers, maintaining rustic elements and enabling both residents and visitors to engage in communal activities seamlessly.

Suizhou baimei station / up architecture

Baimei Station, set amidst the scenic green hills of Jiukouyan Village, Suizhou, represents an innovative approach by UP Architecture, focusing on the delicate balance between new construction and the preservation of rural memory. The project site, perched halfway up a mountain and accessible via a 3-meter wide path, includes a cherished two-hundred-year-old ginkgo tree, anchoring the site’s historical and ecological significance.

The station was developed under the theme “Rustic dailiness,” reflecting the intent to mesh modern public space with rural settings authentically. Key to this theme is the preservation of existing site elements like stone walls and rammed earth walls, which resonate with the rural heritage. Simultaneously, the design promotes openness, encouraging interaction between the activities of visitors and the daily routines of local residents.

Construction of Baimei Station utilized a wood-frame assembly technique, employing Douglas fir glued laminated timber for the main structure, thereby ensuring minimal environmental impact and showcasing the beauty of natural materials. The design includes innovative architectural features like a double-sloped roof with staggered side-height windows in Building No.1 and a large stepped book bar in Building No.2, which also features a mezzanine floor.

Baimei Station is not only a functional rural public space but also a sensory retreat where one can experience the native elements of nature. Design features such as the colonnade and high windows of Building No.1 enhance the interaction with natural light, creating a play of light and shadows that adds a poetic quality to the space. The station’s design carefully frames the natural surroundings, offering views of the bamboo-stirred winds, the seasonal golden ginkgo leaves, and the distant verdant hills, emphasizing a deep connection with the landscape.