Design Team: Zheng Na, Yao Yongmei, Zhou Yanbang, Sun Fanqi, Zhou Xiang, Wang Jingfei, Wang Jingyu, Zhao Ping
The Yueyanglou Scenic Area is a long, narrow, enclosed park oriented north–south. For many years, only the south gate has been open to the public, forcing visitors to retrace their steps along the same circulation route. As a result, the northern section remains underutilized, and the parking lot on the north side is located far from the entrance. During holidays, traffic congestion becomes particularly severe, even posing potential risks to the protection of cultural relics. The addition of a northern entrance has therefore become an urgent necessity.
The northern lakeshore area of the scenic site was originally a shantytown. After flooding in the early 2000s, it was cleared through relocation, leaving behind an open sloped terrain and revealing a section of the ancient city wall along Dongting North Road. Adjacent to the Maritime Bureau building and the pier, this area is gradually being returned to public use. A central design challenge emerges: how to safely guide visitors from Dongting North Road at a higher elevation down to the lakeshore 17 meters below, while meeting heritage conservation requirements and creating a sense of urban romance.
Under the guidance of national and provincial cultural heritage authorities, the design underwent three rounds of directional revisions before returning to the essential nature of the descending path. It is, first and foremost, a pedestrian route that resolves a 17-meter elevation difference. The final scheme adopts a zigzag configuration, reducing the slope through a series of switchbacks. This back-and-forth movement also echoes the spatial rhythm of a circular ramp, though expressed in a different manner.
At the same time, the path is conceived as a scenic promenade overlooking Dongting Lake. The optimal viewing point is located at the top of the path, where a shortened covered corridor separates pedestrian and vehicular circulation, forming a ceremonial entrance and a viewing terrace that initiates the descent. Along the route, large engraved stones and steles inscribed with famous verses about the tower are strategically placed, allowing visitors to naturally recite classical poetry as they approach this renowned landmark, creating a rich cultural atmosphere.
Following the opening of the northern entrance, the design also addresses congestion at the Dianjiangtai area, where a small structure behind the ceremonial archway had created a bottleneck. This structure was removed, and the solid gate panels were replaced with perforated metal gates. In addition to improving pedestrian flow, this intervention importantly restores the visual connection between Yueyang Gate and the waterfront of Dongting Lake.
The design of the Yueyanglou North Gate represents a structural reorganization of the entire visitor circulation system. By redefining the movement patterns at the northern entrance, the project successfully breaks down the spatial barriers between the city’s northern districts, the Yueyanglou Scenic Area, and Dongting Lake. It reintroduces openness and vitality into the urban fabric. Rather than diminishing the prominence of Yueyanglou, the design allows it to become more seamlessly integrated into everyday urban life, revitalizing the cultural heritage with renewed relevance.
Credits:
Project Location: Yueyang, Hunan Province
Design Period: 2024-2025
Construction Period: 2024-2025
Site Area: 10,578㎡
Floor Area: 1,125㎡
Client: Yueyang Scenic Corridor Commercial Operation Management Co., Ltd.
Collaborators:
Hunan Province Third Engineering Co., Ltd. (Construction Documents)
Beijing Master Structural Design Co., Ltd. (Structural Consultant)
Toryo International Lighting Design Center (Lighting Consultant)
Construction: Hunan Province Third Engineering Co., Ltd.
Photographer: TAL
