Shunde Yunlu Wetland Museum by Studio Link-Arc

The Shunde Yunlu Wetland Museum introduces a quiet yet powerful architectural presence within Yunlu Wetland Park, created by Studio Link-Arc. Conceived as a structure that blends into the ecological richness surrounding Egret Island, the museum reflects the architects’ intent to observe nature rather than dominate it. As the project’s chief architect, Yichen Lu set out to reinterpret spatial experience through a non-human-centered lens, shaping a building that privileges the rhythms of tree canopies, shifting light, and bird habitats.

A Museum Hidden in the Forest

Anchored behind a line of existing cedar trees, the museum is composed of four stacked concrete tubes, each rotated to frame a specific ecological direction. These horizontal “lenses” subtly position visitors within layers of the forest, from roots to treetops, creating a cinematic sequence of wetland views. When seen from Egret Island, the structure blends seamlessly into the subtropical foliage, fulfilling Studio Link-Arc’s intention to let the museum “disappear” into its context.

A Vertical Atrium Connecting Perspectives

A vertical triangular atrium carved by a Boolean cut ties the four tubes together, forming an interior heart that gathers shifting light and spatial orientation. Each level aligns toward nature differently, encouraging a scattered yet coherent perspective of the landscape. The end of every tube acts like a curated window, transforming the environment into living paintings that evolve through time and seasons.

Materiality Rooted in the Landscape

The museum’s cast-in-place pine-molded concrete facade carries a fine woodgrain texture, echoing the dense forest surrounding it. This restrained material palette allows the architecture to feel grounded and unobtrusive, while skylights bring softened sunlight deep into interior spaces. The roof is topped with lotus ponds, adding ecological performance that reduces visual presence from above and improves micro-environmental moisture balance.

Designing with Nature, Not Against It

To protect the delicate wetland environment, the team surveyed 560 existing trees before finalizing the building’s footprint. By rotating each tube independently, they minimized disturbance to native trees while optimizing bird-watching angles. This careful intervention reinforces the project’s alignment with the long-term ecological stewardship initiated by “Uncle Bird” Xian Quanhui, whose decades of conservation efforts helped transform the area into an egret sanctuary. As Studio Link-Arc emphasizes, architecture here acts as a respectful guest within a thriving ecosystem.

The project ultimately represents a quiet yet ambitious architectural gesture, led with sensitivity by Yichen Lu and his team. Its commitment to environmental respect, spatial subtlety, and contextual immersion demonstrates the studio’s broader ethos, which continues across their global portfolio.

Technical Sheet