Architects: BIAD, ZXD Architects
Area: 16154 m²
Year: 2024
Photographs: Arch-Exist, Xiangdong Wang, Hanmo Vision
Lead Architect: Zhu Xiaodi
Category: Visitor Center
Architecture Team: Dawei Wang, Hua Fan, Zaijian Zhang, Jian Wang, Xiang Li, Xiaoyong Cui, Zheng Zhang, Wei Jiang, Yiwei Li, Yuanyuan Song, Kun Liu, Haonan Wang, Wenjuan Fan, Wenjing Liu, Yanan Cheng
Structures: Yi Yang, Keyu Gai, Shaoxue Tang, Qing Geng, Chunyang Song, Zhongyi Zhu
Equipment: Liang Sun, Jie Li, Peng Liang, Guocheng Zhao, Jiecong Liu, Hanlin Shi, Pengfei Bai
Electrical Engineer: Wei Liang, Xu Wang, Yang Gao, Shuochen Liu, Lingli Wang
Interior Design: ZXD Architects + Wu Yanming Studio
Landscape: BIAD + Green Alliance (Beijing) International Engineering Design Co., Ltd
Lighting Design: Tsinghua University Planning and Design Institute Co., Ltd. Zhe Wu, Li Tang
Client: Tianshui Maijishan Cultural Tourism Development Co., Ltd
City: Tianshui
Country: China

Maiji Mountain Visitor Center, a cultural facility designed in Tianshui, China, explores Buddhist spatial symbolism through a circular architectural composition that mirrors the philosophy of reincarnation. The project, designed by ZXD ARCHITECTS and BIAD, integrates the terrain of the Maiji Mountain with a series of six interconnected trapezoidal volumes, each forming a circumambulatory route inspired by ceremonial pathways. Completed on an unspecified date, the project uses filtered daylight, gaps between masses, and carefully curated interior elements—including a mural-inspired painted ceiling and six themed areas such as a digital cinema and a performance theater—to enhance cultural storytelling. The structure avoids sharp angles and reinforces symbolic inclusivity through column-free interiors, seismic-resilient cores, and a fluent, toroidal form meant to foster peaceful coexistence and public interaction. The design merges Buddhist ideology with Han culture and modern spatial experience, reflecting a deeper narrative of sustainability and spiritual engagement.

It was during my ascent along the cliff face of the Maiji Mountain Grottoes that I discovered the natural force hidden behind this unique landform—a fault‑cliff geological structure formed by the interaction of two mountain ranges. Similar landforms can be found in the surrounding areas, and my observation revealed they are distributed in a circular pattern. This gave me a crucial insight: forces are in constant confrontation, dissipation, and release. When creating the form of the Maiji Mountain Visitor Center, I incorporated this inherent interaction of forces and the imagery of opposition, ultimately resulting in a design where six building volumes interpenetrate each other.
Interview with Zhu Xiaodi of ZXD Architects

Maiji mountain visitor center / zxd architects + biad

The design of the Maiji Mountain Visitor Center begins with the influence of Buddhism, referencing the circumambulatory form as a fundamental ceremonial space corresponding to the idea of cyclical reincarnation. This symbolic concept, historically transformed through cultural synthesis—particularly with Han traditions and contemporary reinterpretations—underpins the spatial organization and philosophical intent of the building.

The architecture unfolds as a ring-shaped composition made up of six trapezoidal volumes. These forms intersect to create deliberate gaps at their joints, functioning both as formal nodes externally and as apertures internally, allowing light to enter with a guiding presence. This illumination directs movement and transitions through the center, enhancing the experiential sequence of the exhibition.

The annular spatial experience is grounded in the surrounding mountainous topography, which is integrated into the architecture to form a convergence of environmental force and humanistic meaning. The building thereby acts not just as a container of cultural functions but as an active participant in the public realm.

At the west-facing main entrance, the collision of two volumes generates a semi-enclosed threshold space. This opening reveals the courtyard and a mural-inspired ceiling depicting scenes from the Maiji Mountain Grottoes, rendered on painted metal plates. Visitors then proceed clockwise along a gentle internal ramp, passing sequentially through six core areas: the reception, the Digital Maiji Mountain front hall, the 5D digital cinema, a theater lobby, exhibition and leisure zones, and finally a cultural-creative center. This closed-loop layout mirrors the spatial metaphor of reincarnation and continuity.

The interior volumes are structurally defined by six large, column-free spaces, articulated around six trapezoidal cores. Four of these act as seismic supports, with ancillary functions distributed within. These spaces, free from directional hierarchy or rigid borders, reflect Buddhist ideals of inclusion and the absorption of diverse cultural influences—especially the fusion of Buddhist and Central Plains culture in the Hexi Corridor.

The continuous, non-angular form suggests openness and inclusiveness, embodying the Buddhist spirit of acceptance. The building offers a fluid spatial rhythm that encourages quiet reflection and dialogue among visitors. In doing so, it provides a culturally rooted, functionally contemporary environment that enhances the visitor experience while asserting its role as a significant regional landmark.