- 2025 Pioneer Prize
- From Architectural Design
Juyan Intangible Cultural Tea Heritage Experience Center
Danqing Liu, an innovator in cultural and tourism Spaces and a practitioner of urban and rural aesthetics, has been deeply involved in the design field for 19 years. She used to be the director of a leading listed design group, and her works have won the Gold Award for China's Human Settlements Design. Establish brands such as "Villa Xia", specializing in cultural tourism planning and the revitalization of idle assets. Integrating an international perspective with the genes of Eastern culture, it has independently created a design philosophy of "locality + contemporanity", reconstructing spatial narratives with curatorial thinking to promote the transformation of intangible cultural heritage into commercial scenarios. Led the renovation projects of over 80 villages, innovated the integrated model of "design - construction - operation", and constructed the methodology of "Modern Chinese rural aesthetics". Established the cultural and tourism brand Shuxia, proposed the concept of "embracing nature", provided full-chain cultural and tourism services, revitalized old buildings through eco-friendly design, developed cultural and creative ips and nature study courses, and served over 5,000 people annually. Advocating "bridging the urban-rural gap through design", it creates cultural experience workshops to collaborate with intangible cultural heritage inheritors and collaborates with art academies to produce rural aesthetic guidelines, achieving a sustainable revitalization model where "space is content and scene is dissemination". Personal quote: "We don't sell landscapes; we merely design dialogues between people and venues - making the environment the stage, culture the script, and the market the audience."
Named after “Wuzhou”—the ancient name for Jinhua during the Sui and Tang dynasties (581-907 AD)—Wuzhou Juyan Tea is a celebrated specialty from Zhejiang’s Jinhua region. Rooted in the intangible cultural heritage of traditional Juyan tea-making, the space blends local traditions with contemporary technologies to offer a compelling destination for tea drinkers, cultural explorers, and sightseers.
Architecturally, the building draws from tea culture, dragon lore, and modern construction techniques. The roof eaves, modeled on the image of tea buds sprouting out of the ground, are shaped into a steel structure curved upward at a 24-degree angle, conveying a dynamic sense of vertical growth. Filtered natural light is introduced to prevent direct glare. At the tips of the eaves, parametrically arranged copper dragon-scale elements are embedded to evoke an image of a hidden dragon emerging with its spine exposed. Beneath, the beam-column structure and modular facade window strictly adhere to the proportional rules outlined in Treatise on Architectural Methods, a classical architectural manual of the Song Dynasty (960-1276), employing a 1:2 ratio to create a sense of spatial order—offering a contemporary expression of ancient architectural wisdom.
The spatial layout is informed by the principles of cultural gene decoding and topological mapping of behavioral circulation, resulting in a dual-ring layout that enhances immersion. The outer ring connects seven functional zones—including the Juyan Tea Lab and the Eco Tea Garden—forming a clear and organized circulation route. The inner ring focuses on core tea-making techniques such as traditional charcoal roasting, providing an in-depth learning environment where visitors can fully engage with the intangible cultural heritage of tea-making, thus deepening their understanding of traditional tea culture. A multi-sensory interaction system redefines conventional exhibition experiences. Installations such as Tea Light Narrative, Wind Chime Resonance, Tea Flavor Capsules, Scent-Infused Ventilation, and Textured Tea Pathway translate sensory perceptions—sight, sound, taste, smell, and touch—into tangible expressions—creating a dialogue between historical inheritance and modern experience.
The space employs an innovative zero-intervention construction technique, using inverse contour algorithms to align the architecture seamlessly with the natural mountain contours. This method reduces earthwork excavation by 60%, preserving the site’s original terrain. A microclimate system composed of a double-layer breathable façade, moss-covered eco-walls, and an intelligent misting system ensures stable indoor temperature and humidity while significantly reducing PM2.5 levels. Meanwhile, permeable ceramic gravels, paired with a siphonic drainage system, reduce surface runoff and improve water circulation, contributing to the ecological health of Lake Lünü. In terms of material circularity, 3D printing is used to transform tea residues into interior partition components that absorb odors and improve air quality. Discarded tea leaves are also repurposed into biodegradable tableware—promoting the vision of green and low-carbon living.
