A striking new art gallery designed by Kong Xiangwei Studio has opened on Phoenix Mountain in Yunnan, China, creating a unique cultural destination that celebrates both migratory birds and the region's tea heritage. The Dali Wuliangshan Flying Bird Art Gallery sits at an elevation of 2,300 meters (7,545 feet) within the northern foothills of the Wuliang Mountain National Nature Reserve, where its wing-like structure appears to soar above the surrounding landscape.
The gallery's location holds deep significance as one of China's most important bird migration corridors along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway. Phoenix Mountain's canyon terrain and warm air currents have made it a vital stopover point for migratory birds, while its research station has operated for over 25 years. During this time, scientists have tagged more than 67,000 birds representing 304 different species, creating an extensive ecological database that forms the cultural foundation for the new gallery.
Surrounding the gallery, an 87-hectare organic tea plantation spreads across the mountain's rolling slopes in carefully maintained terraces. The cultivated landscape already features smart feeding stations and bird-watching hides that facilitate respectful interaction between visitors and the area's wildlife. This existing infrastructure creates a harmonious environment where agriculture, conservation, and cultural activities coexist.
Kong Xiangwei Studio approached the project as a light-touch intervention, choosing to build upon an existing café within a courtyard complex that includes guesthouses. Rather than constructing an entirely new building, the architects placed a lightweight steel structure above the original single-story café, creating a dramatic second floor while preserving the existing foundations and minimizing environmental impact.
The gallery's most striking feature is its wing-like form, with a sharply pointed apex and open span that creates the impression of a building caught mid-flight. This sculptural design serves both functional and symbolic purposes, transforming the structure into a landmark that can be easily recognized across the valley while providing dramatic interior spaces for exhibitions.
Inside the gallery, the ground floor maintains its original function as a café, while the newly created upper level serves as the primary exhibition space. Floor-to-ceiling windows dissolve the boundaries between interior and exterior, allowing visitors to experience sweeping views of the tea gardens, surrounding forests, and distant mountain valleys. The transparent design creates a unique viewing experience where photographs of migratory birds displayed on freestanding walls are complemented by live birds visible through the expansive glazing.
The gallery's central architectural feature is its dramatically recessed pointed apex, which frames the valley in a single, sweeping panoramic view. This design element, supported by the building's steel framework, creates an immersive experience that places visitors directly within the landscape. The white steel structure responds dynamically to changing weather conditions, channeling bright sunlight into the gallery during clear days and softening into a mysterious, mist-filled vessel when fog rolls through the valley, creating an ever-changing architectural experience that mirrors the natural rhythms of the mountain environment.
