Jianamani Visitor Center
Liaodi Pagoda in Kaiyuan Temple is the tallest existing pagoda with masonry structure in China. Through the arrangement of the environment surrounding the pagoda and reshaping the landscape, the design highlights the multiple values of the pagoda and its important status in urban space and creates a large open space in the center of the city. Therefore, a modern interpretation program is proposed based on its value. The square is designed on the extension of Kaiyuan Temple’s axis with square altar in the center indicating the original image of Buddhism. Red corridors are set in the east, west and south, which employ traditional pattern of hollow units as the linear space interface to separate vacancy from fullness.
Traditional paving material in Kaiyuan Temple—grey bricks with a variety of specifications and patterns—is still in use and bluestone is used to form lattice structure, which makes the overall tone of the square more simple and elegant. The implication of the pattern echoes the theme of Buddhism.
Jianamarnyi Visitor Center is one of the key projects of post-earthquake reconstruction in Yushu.
It is adjacent to Jianamarnyi Stone (also known as Jianamarnyi Shijing Castle) which is the important cultural heritage in Xinzhai, Yushu, Qinghai Province and the largest Marnyi Stone in the world. On the one hand, the Visitor Center loses itself in the service of believers and tourists through exhibition space and observation tower which show the interpretation of the historical cultural value of Jianamarnyi.
On the other hand, the Visitor Center is integrated with post offices, clinics, Marnyi Stone Research Center and public toilets to serve the whole Yushu community. The Visitor Center is composed of rectangular-ambulatory-plane functional space and 11 observation towers around it. Two observation towers point to the Marnyi Stone and other 9 observation towers respectively point to nine holy lands for Jianamarnyi religious activities or important places in Jianamarnyi in history. The use of local material and construction method further reinforces the spatial-temporal connection between the Visitor Center and the historical cultural circle of Jianamarnyi.
