Paper Roof Reception Center

Paper Roof, the light-as-air design for a reception center for a new city district next to Jin Hai Lake in Bin Hai. The center makes a simple yet eloquent statement with a sleek glass box topped by a contemporary take on the sweeping roof of traditional Chinese architecture – instantly recognizable, yet uncompromisingly fresh. The perfect harbinger of the new urban landscape that will rise around it.

Photography by © Weiqi Jin

The Creativity of the Canopy. As uncomplicated and unpretentious as a piece of paper – that’s the canopy roof that defines the reception center in Bin Hai. The upswept corners are a feature of ancient Chinese buildings and were believed to be auspicious, alongside their function in deflecting rainwater. The diagonal beams of the center’s roof form a mesh that references a forest canopy, sheltering the glass pavilion beneath with dappled shade like the branches of a tree.

Photography by © Weiqi Jin

Standing on slender legs, the roof rises to 18.5 meters at its tallest point and extends over an area of 30 x 50 m – defining the outside deck some 5 meters beyond the perimeter of the pavilion.

Photography by © Weiqi Jin

This gesture anchors the airy, transparent pavilion to the site. Inside the pavilion, a large atrium and the extensive views of the surrounding lake and gardens reinforce the open atmosphere and create a bright, welcoming space. The second floor includes offices and a viewing balcony, as well as seating areas for smaller and larger groups.

The Color of Heaven. Made not from paper but from powder-coated steel, Paper Roof’s canopy appears weightless by coloring it in the same blue as the sky: the color of heaven. In contrast, the dark horizontals of the pavilion moor it firmly into the ground beneath.

Photography by © Weiqi Jin

An elegant statement, it stands on long legs that are just 45cm thick and rises at the front in a friendly gesture towards both visitors and the nearby lake. The roof structure was welded together on site – the curved sections being prefabricated – and then finished by hand to create a smoothly polished surface.