ONE RIVER

Located in Nanjing, China, the project draws inspiration from the compositional structure of ancient Chinese paintings—with their layered, progressive mountain ranges and interplay of open and closed spaces—to organize the logic of the landscape. Leveraging the existing topographical elevation changes, it translates the poetic essence of myriad gorges contending with surging streams into fluid, staggered, and levitating spatial forms, creating an immersive valley retreat. By integrating intangible cultural heritage techniques—such as Yunjin brocade, gold leaf, and Qinhuai lanterns—into the spatial design, the project achieves a fusion of traditional craftsmanship and modern design. The landscape and architecture are deeply integrated; the design embeds landscape spaces within the multi-layered, three-dimensional architecture, interweaves social spaces through vertical planes, and uses visual progression to guide nature’s inward permeation, achieving a seamless fusion of nature and daily life.