Architecture studio Atelier Xi has completed the AYDC Public Art Centre in Guiyang, China, creating a unique cultural destination that distributes its facilities across three sculptural stone-clad pavilions within a beautifully landscaped park. The innovative project has been shortlisted in the small project category of the prestigious Dezeen Awards 2025.
The art center serves as the physical home for A Yun Duo Cang (AYDC), which translates to "Our Land of Dreams," a culture-driven experimental hub. Rather than constructing a single large building, Atelier Xi chose to divide the program into three distinct cubic pavilions, each featuring carved-out interiors inspired by the natural karst caves found throughout Guizhou province.
"Instead of a singular monumental building, the design breaks the program into a constellation of sculptural pavilions dispersed across the landscape," explained Chen Xi, principal of Atelier Xi. "This approach challenges conventional notions of centralized cultural institutions by prioritizing openness, decentralization, and environmental integration."
The three pavilions, named the Xima Library, Ginkgo Chapel, and Dali Stage, each offer unique experiences while maintaining strong connections to the surrounding parkland. The library building stands out with its distinctive arched glazing that overlooks the park and features a sunken reading pit surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows. Unlike the library, both the chapel and stage pavilions remain completely open to the elements, allowing weather patterns and seasonal changes to become integral parts of the visitor experience.
Drawing inspiration from Guizhou province's native karst cave formations, Xi emphasized that "the resulting architecture is not imposed onto the land but appears to emerge from it, blurring the line between built form and landscape." This philosophy is evident in each pavilion's distinctive design approach.
The Xima Library sits beneath a dramatic vaulted ceiling and centers around a sunken reading pit wrapped by a concrete terrace. This terrace extends over a shallow reflecting pool that mirrors the building's sculptural form, creating a contemplative environment for visitors. At the opposite end of the park, the Ginkgo Chapel creates an intimate atmosphere through four bulging walls shaped like inverted arches, forming a skylit events space perfect for cultural gatherings and performances.
The central Dali Stage features a single arched section that shelters a concrete platform overlooking a paved plaza. The plaza itself has been finished with stepped seating and distinctive terracotta tiles laid in an eye-catching herringbone pattern, creating an amphitheater-like setting for outdoor performances and community events.
Construction of each pavilion utilized steel frame structures clad externally with travertine stone panels and internally with curving steel panels. The interior finishes vary by function: the library's steel panels have been sandblasted to achieve a rough, textured finish that complements the contemplative reading environment, while the chapel and stage feature polished steel panels that create reflective, mirrored surfaces.
The surrounding landscape design, created by So Boring Company, transforms what was previously an underutilized grassy plot into a vibrant destination for recreation and cultural engagement. The park features native ginkgo trees and local vegetation, concrete skating bowls for recreation, and strategically placed seating areas that encourage both active use and quiet reflection.
"Designed for reading, performance, and reflection, these spaces nurture independent artistic gatherings while seamlessly weaving architecture with local memory, natural rhythm and public life," Xi noted. "Formerly an underutilized grassy plot, the site has been ecologically uplifted with native ginkgo trees and local bushes, transforming it into a destination for recreation and cultural engagement."
The architect emphasized how seasonal changes enhance the overall experience, explaining that "the natural setting evolves in harmony with the pavilions' distinct atmospheres." This integration of natural cycles with architectural space creates an ever-changing cultural venue that reflects the rhythms of both nature and community life.
This project represents part of Atelier Xi's broader architectural philosophy, which can also be seen in their previous works including a visitor center for Qiaochengbei Park in Shenzhen that similarly distributed facilities across multiple pavilions, and an angular library nestled within a Chinese tea plantation. The AYDC Public Art Centre photography was captured by Zhang Chao, showcasing the harmonious integration of architecture, landscape, and cultural programming.
