Designed by: @increments.studio

Captured by: @practiceonearth

In rural Chinese villages, aging populations and rapid rural exodus have become increasingly pressing issues. Designed in collaboration with China-based Studio Practice on Earth, these pavilions explore agrotourism as a potential response to rural decline, aiming to rekindle interest in remote farmlands while creating spaces for local villagers, younger generations, and visitors. The project considers how new programs can contribute to economic diversification, community revitalization, and the renewal of rural identity.

Titled Down in the Clouds, the project comprises three pavilions—a Cafe, a Reading Room, and a Film Room—located among the rice paddies of Xiangshan, China. Rather than introducing conventional architectural forms into the agricultural landscape, the design plays with unfamiliarity in both scale and material. The pavilions create a distinctive presence within the surrounding fields while maintaining their connection to the rural setting.

Inspired by Hans Hemmert’s playful inflatable art installations, the project combines rigid structures with lightweight forms. Each pavilion is constructed using container structures and inflatable elements, creating a deliberate contrast between the perceived heaviness of steel and the lightness of the inflatables. This tension becomes a defining characteristic of the three spaces, giving them a playful and unexpected quality within the landscape.

Through their location and program, the pavilions propose a different relationship between rural environments and visitors. The Cafe, Reading Room, and Film Room introduce spaces for gathering, reading and watching films within the rice paddies, bringing new activity to an agricultural setting. Together, they form an exploration of how agrotourism can support the continued life of rural communities while generating renewed interest in places affected by population decline and rural exodus.