Chengdu, China
“The design of the panda pavilions is a convergence of landscape, architecture, and land art. While the project provides a pedestrian-friendly navigation experience for visitors, it prioritizes an animal-friendly environment to minimize the alienation of ecology, ”explains Ping Jiang, Design Principal, EID Architecture
Chengdu National Giant Panda Research and Breeding Center, the world’s leading research institute on panda preservation has commissioned EID Architecture to create a campus that will become the research lab to house and study pandas’ behaviors and activities in a national forest park near the outskirts of Chengdu.
Named Tha Panda Pavilions, the project serves the community for educational and recreational purposes, while attracting millions of panda lovers annually to visit the campus.
The Panda Pavillions project has recently been awarded a 2023 International Architecture Award by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.
The Panda Pavilions are devoted to fostering a cross-disciplinary collaboration as a care center for the giant pandas.
The design is organized around four open-air circular courtyards which serve as outdoor playgrounds for the bears while providing a continuous connection with nature.
Aimed at educating, entertaining, and inspiring a diverse audience from around China and the world, the panda pavilions will bring a unique cultural experience that blends science, education, art, and entertainment.
Inspired by the natural landscape of Chengdu’s prairies, these panda pavilions are intended as a fusion of architecture and landscape.
Located at the Chengdu National Giant Panda Research Base, the Panda Pavilions take form in the primitive geometry of a circle.
Nestling in the wilderness, these panda houses embrace their natural surroundings, integrating themselves with the topography of the national park.
The panda pavilions are designed to create an immersive experience of exploration and discovery for the visitors.
They house the pandas’ indoor and outdoor activity spaces and living quarters, along with staff administrative offices and supporting facilities.
Also, the pavilions provide interactive exhibitions and education spaces designated for panda research and preservation.
The pavilion facades feature pressure-treated cedar wood panels and cast-in-place concrete walls.
These buildings are equipped with water nozzles around the pavilions to create a fine mist for panda-friendly temperature and humidity.
Project: The Panda Pavillions
Architects: EID Architecture
Lead Architect: Ping Jiang
Design Team: Michelle Bao, Sean Lu, Yunpeng Ma, Shuang Zhang, Chendi He, Di Fan, and Xiaoxu Sun
Client: Chengdu Tianfu Greenway Construction Investment Co., Ltd. and the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding
Photographers: Arch-Exist, XIMUImage, and Kuratnik Nikolai
