At Twin Pavilions in Ningbo, China, a small change in roof geometry gives an existing viewing deck a new architectural direction. Atelier LuxNox and Found Projects take the familiar profile of a gable roof and separate it into two single-pitch volumes.
The steel-framed pair occupies a valley with views towards the ocean. The brief was to revitalise and enlarge an underused viewing deck, so the project begins with an existing place to look out from rather than an entirely new destination.
Splitting the roof is the central move. Instead of repeating the original form as a single object, the design distributes its two slopes across separate pavilions. The old roof type remains a point of reference, but no longer dictates one unified silhouette.
The proposal’s interest lies in that limited transformation: a recognisable form becomes a way to reconsider an overlooked viewing place. Whether the renewed deck attracts sustained use is a separate question, beyond what its geometry alone can demonstrate.
Design: Atelier LuxNox and Found Projects. Image courtesy of Atelier LuxNox.