HCCH Studio creates doughnut-shaped pavilion on Chinese mountain

Architecture studio HCCH has designed a doughnut-shaped viewpoint and pavilion in Huizhou, China, featuring oval openings and a concrete facade with a bamboo texture.

Located on Mount Luofu, the site occupies a platform that extends from a sharp turn of the highway and was previously used as a buffer zone and parking area.

Named Resting Loop with Views, the pavilion was designed to create a viewpoint of the surrounding mountain ranges and rivers, as well as a cafe and parking station for cycling enthusiasts.

Three concrete volumes support the pavilion, which Shanghai-based HCCH Studio described as looking like "a UFO flies low above the stone platform".

The upper level takes the form of a doughnut, with an outer diameter of 16 meters. A series of oval openings in different sizes were cut from the exterior of the structure, creating framed views of the nearby landscape.

Visitors are encouraged to walk in a loop at the upper ring and enjoy the views of the mountain through the openings, which are aimed in different directions.

The exterior surface was cast in-situ using moulds made from bamboo selected from the local mountain, creating a ribbed surface with a bamboo-like texture. The interior of the pavilion, in contrast, is smooth and seamless.

The two contrasting finishes meet at the edges of the oval openings, creating ruffles that highlight the prominence of the bamboo texture.

Below the doughnut, a sunken plaza provides seating for visitors. Here, Shanghai-based artist Su Chang created a series of sculptural stone chairs at the centre of the plaza called "social stones"

A shaded resting area sits under the floating ring above. The pavilion's three supporting concrete volumes house a cafe, a public toilet and storage, with doors and windows facing one another.

The dark hammered finishes used for these volumes complement the plaza's stone paving and the sculptural stone chairs at the centre.

HCCH Studio was founded by Hao Chen and Chenchen Hu in 2018 and won emerging architect of the year at Dezeen Awards China 2024.

The studio's recent projects include a shell-like brick pavilion in Longyou County, China, and the Twisting Tower and Spiral Station, part of the Shanghai Lingang Ecological Restoration Project.

The photography is by Qingyan Zhu unless otherwise stated.

Project credits:

Design team: Hao Chen, Chenchen Hu, Jiaqi Liu, Yazhou Ding, Feng Qi
Structure: iStructure
Contractor: Wenzhou Zhengyi Engineering
Client: Fengyuzhu Culture&Tech

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