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Studio
genarchitects

Lead architects
Xue Zhe, Fan Beilei, Kong Rui

Project team
Liu Yang, Li Lanruo, Zang Min, Tao Shuting, Wang Shiyu, Chen Xi, Liu Jinghuan, Sun Haonan, Liu Weinan, Yang Tianyu

Year
2021

Location
Nanjing, Jiangsu, China

Content edited by Gaia Pilia
© urbanNext

Floral Pavilion: Architecture as Sensory Practice

genarchitects

Situated in a valley, with rolling hills stretching to the north and south, the Floral Pavilion is conceived as a spatial atmosphere built upon perception rather than overt form-making.

Treating architecture as a sensible entity, the design prioritizes feeling over explicit rational expression. Inside the hall, a restrained palette of black tones establishes a calm and immersive environment, reducing visual noise and allowing the space to settle into a quiet, almost contemplative state.

The background is intentionally subdued, recalling the logic of a theatre. Through this deliberate reduction, attention is focused and clarified: the central arrangement of flowers becomes the primary presence, illuminated as if on a stage, while the surrounding scenery recedes into shadow. This contrast heightens perception, where light and darkness work together to construct a singular experiential image.

Rather than deriving from formal typologies, the project follows an initial mental image—an intuitive vision of tranquility and focus. The resulting space is less about composition and more about evoking a state, where controlled light, muted materiality, and spatial hierarchy collectively produce a quiet intensity centered on the floral display.

Studio
genarchitects

Lead architects
Xue Zhe, Fan Beilei, Kong Rui

Project team
Liu Yang, Li Lanruo, Zang Min, Tao Shuting, Wang Shiyu, Chen Xi, Liu Jinghuan, Sun Haonan, Liu Weinan, Yang Tianyu

Year
2021

Location
Nanjing, Jiangsu, China

urbanNext (April 30, 2026) Floral Pavilion: Architecture as Sensory Practice. Retrieved from https://urbannext.net/floral-pavilion-architecture-as-sensory-practice/.
Floral Pavilion: Architecture as Sensory Practice.” urbanNext – April 30, 2026, https://urbannext.net/floral-pavilion-architecture-as-sensory-practice/
urbanNext April 30, 2026 Floral Pavilion: Architecture as Sensory Practice., viewed April 30, 2026,<https://urbannext.net/floral-pavilion-architecture-as-sensory-practice/>
urbanNext – Floral Pavilion: Architecture as Sensory Practice. [Internet]. [Accessed April 30, 2026]. Available from: https://urbannext.net/floral-pavilion-architecture-as-sensory-practice/
Floral Pavilion: Architecture as Sensory Practice.” urbanNext – Accessed April 30, 2026. https://urbannext.net/floral-pavilion-architecture-as-sensory-practice/
Floral Pavilion: Architecture as Sensory Practice.” urbanNext [Online]. Available: https://urbannext.net/floral-pavilion-architecture-as-sensory-practice/. [Accessed: April 30, 2026]

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