Paper Roof | Powerhouse Company

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. 

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. 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. 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. The same high level of finishing was applied to the near seamless glass facade of the pavilion.

Project Team

Partner in charge
Nanne de Ru
Stijn Kemper

Project team
Maarten Diederix

Niels Baljet

Remko van der Vorm

Rui Wang

Filip Galić

Maarten Diederix

Gert Ververs

Erwin Van Strien

Davide del Sante

Penny Uni

Caroline Desplan

Rafael Zarza Garciá

Kimi Fei

Yanni Huang

Collaborators

Co-architect
Beijing Victory Star Architectural & Civil Engineering Design Co., Ltd  

Interior architect                
Shanghai DID Architecture Design Co., Ltd
Esperluette Design

Landscape architect                          
Ecoland Planning and Design Corp.

Urban planner                                    
HZS DESIGN UNIVERSAL PARTNERS

MEP (installations) advisor           
Beijing Victory Star Architectural & Civil Engineering Design Co., Ltd

Acoustics /Fire Protection advisor                                           
Tianjin Fangbiao Century Planning and Architectural Design Co., Ltd.

Structural / Geotechnical engineer                                        
Beijing Victory Star Architectural & Civil Engineering Design Co., Ltd

Facade engineer                
Beijing Victory Star Architectural & Civil Engineering Design Co., Ltd

Lighting advisor                  
Shenzhen Minkave Technology Co.,Ltd

Contractor                                           
China Construction Second
Engineering Bureau Ltd.

Branding / signage
Beijing Yitongboya Corporate
Image Design Co., Ltd

Photography / videography
Weiqi Jin (AST)