The Fan in Jinshanling | © Jonathan Leijonhufvud In the vast mountainous expanse of Jinshanling, located in Chengde City, Hebei Province, China, a subtle yet evocative architectural gesture redefines how visitors experience the threshold between nature and exhibition. Titled The Fan, this outdoor installation designed by TEAM_BLDG was conceived as a spatial prelude to sculptor Sheng Jiang’s solo exhibition Being In The Open Field. The exhibition, staged in 2023, occupies a once ancient and intensely present landscape, where lush valleys give way to the rugged outline of the Great Wall built during the Ming Dynasty. The Fan offers more than a transitional space; it becomes an atmospheric device, a ritualized passage, and a study in architectural restraint and responsiveness. The Fan in Jinshanling Technical Information Installation Architects1-6: TEAM_BLDG Architectural Design (Exhibition Venue – Jinshanling The Upper): Atelier Deshaus Location: Chengde, Hebei, China Area: 240 m2 | 2,583 Sq. Ft. Project Year: 2021 – 2023 Photographs: © Jonathan Leijonhufvud We want to achieve a relatively soft and light installation that complements the hard landscape. In our conception, the installation should be like a natural tree—it can capture the wind while also providing shelter for someone walking on the stone-paved exhibition path. – TEAM_BLDG Architects The Fan in Jinshanling Photographs © Jonathan Leijonhufvud © Jonathan Leijonhufvud © Jonathan Leijonhufvud © Jonathan Leijonhufvud © Jonathan Leijonhufvud © Jonathan Leijonhufvud © Jonathan Leijonhufvud © Jonathan Leijonhufvud © Jonathan Leijonhufvud © Jonathan Leijonhufvud Contextual Framework: At the Edge of the Ancient Wall Situated at the terminus of the developed exhibition zone, The Fan operates within a landscape layered with historical, spiritual, and environmental weight. Its proximity to the Great Wall inscribes it into a cultural continuum. At the same time, the topography—comprising cliffs, terraced walkways, and natural flora—presents a dynamic ground condition that resists conventional architectural imposition. The main indoor exhibition is housed within Jinshanling The Upper, a landscaped architecture designed by Atelier Deshaus. However, the building remains visually secluded, nested within the valley’s folds. Here, TEAM_BLDG was invited to introduce a subtle architectural intervention—a “clue,” as they term it—that would guide and prepare visitors for the exhibition through a gradual immersion in space, sound, and materiality. Design Intent: Evoking Softness in a Hard Terrain Upon first encounter, Jinshanling presents a series of austere material juxtapositions: the coarse stone of ancient ruins, the sharp silhouettes of contemporary concrete structures, and the textured presence of Sheng Jiang’s Buddha sculptures. Against this context of hardness, the design team sought to introduce an element of softness—both materially and experientially. Inspired by Tibetan Buddhist prayer flags, The Fan reinterprets spiritual iconography into architectural form. Rather than replicating cultural motifs, the installation abstracts their essence: movement, rhythm, ephemerality, and a sense of presence within absence. This approach results in a structure that does not assert itself through monumentality but rather through its sensitivity to wind, terrain, and visitor interaction. By referencing sheltering trees and wind-catching canopies, the design encourages a contemplative mode of passage. It is a threshold not marked by gates or signage but by atmosphere and tempo. The Fan Material Expression and Spatial Resolution Structurally, The Fan consists of approximately forty T-shaped steel pipe units—each 3 meters high by 2 meters wide—arranged in a meandering sequence that extends more than 120 meters along the stone-paved exhibition path. These units support soft white gauze, suspended via articulated joints that allow the fabric to sway and flutter with the valley’s wind currents. The steel elements are anchored to concrete footings that accommodate the site’s irregular topography, allowing each element to adapt to the undulating ground without compromising structural clarity. This deliberate minimalism—the distilled composition of steel, gauze, and concrete—reinforces the project’s commitment to transparency and legibility. “What you see is what you get” becomes a spatial ethos. The structure’s openness allows natural light to pass through without obstruction while creating a shaded, modulated corridor for visitors. Equally significant is the inclusion of bells hidden within the steel joints, which respond to wind movement with soft chimes. This auditory element introduces a temporal and situational quality to the experience: visitors may hear the installation before they see it, and as they move along the path, the soundscape becomes part of the architectural narrative. The bells, inspired by Buddhist traditions of joy and surprise, elevate the structure from static object to participatory environment. Poetic Integration: Architecture as Sensory Experience Construction of The Fan demanded both precision and improvisation. Full-scale mockups were built and tested in Shanghai to simulate environmental conditions, yet on-site challenges—including stronger-than-anticipated wind loads—forced real-time structural adaptations. This responsive methodology made the final installation feel grounded in its context, not merely placed upon it. Ultimately, The Fan performs as more than a built form—it operates as a sensory register of place. Sunlight filters through the gauze in shifting patterns. Beetles and birds interact with its surfaces. Visitors find themselves not just passing through, but dwelling briefly within a space of quiet ceremony. The visual recall of Buddhist robes fluttering in the breeze reinforces the spiritual undercurrents in both the material and the site. The Fan in Jinshanling Plans Concept | © TEAM_BLDG Site Plan | © TEAM_BLDG Details | © TEAM_BLDG The Fan in Jinshanling Image Gallery About TEAM_BLDG TEAM_BLDG is a multidisciplinary architecture and design studio based in China. It is known for its thoughtful integration of architecture, art, and landscape. With a focus on spatial narratives and contextual sensitivity, the studio engages in a wide range of projects, from cultural and educational buildings to installations and exhibitions. Their work emphasizes clarity of structure, material honesty, and the creation of immersive environments that invite reflection and human interaction. Credits and Additional Notes Installation Design: TEAM_BLDG Architectural Design (Exhibition Venue – Jinshanling The Upper): Atelier Deshaus Design Team: Xiao Lei, Deng Zhaojing, Yang Yuqiong, Lin Yufeng, Hong Shining Architectural Design of Main Venue: Atelier Deshaus Landscape Design: Shunmyo Masuno + Japan Landscape Consultants (courtyards and gardens), Turenscape (environment) Client / Exhibition Organizer: The JIANGS (Sheng Jiang, Sculptor)