archermit tops ‘feixue pavilion’ with rooftop pools shaped like overlapping pear petals

Tomas Kauer - News Writer and News Moderator

archermit tops ‘feixue pavilion’ with rooftop pools shaped like overlapping pear petals

archermit shapes feixue pavilion for pear blossom village

Feixue Pavilion by Archermit sits in Pear Blossom Village in Luzhou, China, where five rounded concrete roofs gather among trees, bamboo, and the mountain slope. The building takes its outline from pear petals, translating the flower into a set of independent slabs that overlap at staggered heights. From above, the roof reads as a loose cluster of pale forms, with shallow pools held inside their curved edges.

The approach begins before the architecture fully appears. A winding mountain path passes a large boulder and an old pear tree, setting up a slow arrival through existing landscape. The tree stays at the center of the experience. Its branches rise above the entrance sequence, while its reflection lands in the water held on the roof, tying the first encounter with the building to the site’s older growth.

image courtesy Archermit

concrete petals and a roof of water

The design team at Archermit uses the five petal forms to break down the mass of the Feixue Pavilion. Each slab carries a different zone, and the gaps between them allow daylight to slip through the building. At night, interior lighting moves through those same openings, outlining the roof plates from the surrounding forest. The two story volume becomes easier to read as a series of platforms, terraces, and sheltered rooms placed at different levels.

The roof draws from local village houses that store water on flat surfaces, then combines that reference with small green tiles associated with traditional sloped roofs. Here, the tiles are laid flat across waterproofed concrete, then covered with a thin layer of water. The surface catches pear tree crowns, passing clouds, and birds above the valley. During rain, overflow points at the slab overlaps turn the roof into a set of small waterfalls, bringing sound and movement into the architecture.

image courtesy Archermit

a tactile courtyard in the mountain forest

At ground level, the pavilion becomes more tactile. Courtyard walls were hand chiseled after the concrete had cured, giving their surfaces a rough grain that feels closer to bark or weathered stone than smooth construction. This texture sits against more precise elements, including slender railings, timber framed doors, glass walls, and round columns. The contrast gives the project a physical directness without losing its softness.

Circular openings and curved walls create a layered depth within the covered courtyard. One round cut in the rear wall links the reception hall with the craft activity space beyond. Nearby, a semi open area works as a sheltered terrace for sitting through wind or rain, with the roof held high enough to frame the trees beyond the railing. Large stones remain within the circulation, making the ground plane feel continuous with the path outside.

image courtesy Archermit

nature education as spatial program

The Feixue Pavilion is organized around nature education for children and families. Its spaces support workshops for seeds, leaf veins, insect sounds, wood grain, stone rubbings, and woodenware, turning the building into a hands on learning environment. The architecture helps keep that program close to the surrounding hillside. Children move between interior rooms, open terraces, and the atrium, with light, water, and plant life constantly visible.

For Archermit, the project also operates as part of a rural revitalization effort. Since opening, the pavilion has drawn weekend visitors from nearby cities to Pear Blossom Village, giving local residents new roles within the educational program. The building avoids the feel of an isolated destination. Its strength comes from the way it joins existing trees, mountain paths and village references into a place that feels specific to this valley.

image © Arch-Exist