 Wenzhou canadian pavilion |
cultural inspiration
using indigenous motifs to influence form
The Canadian Pavilion for the 15th Chinese International Garden Exhibition in Wenzhou is a sculptural expression of Canada’s natural landscapes and Indigenous cultural heritage. Inspired by natural forms shaped by the environment, the pavilion’s sweeping, organic form guides visitors along multi-level concourses, culminating in a peak that recalls the traditional tipi. A translucent PTFE membrane clads the structure, evoking the delicate skin of a tipi and revealing an organic mass timber gridshell, an homage to the birch bark canoe. The pavilion serves as a poetic celebration of Indigenous identity and Canada’s deep connection to land and craft.
- Who:
- Government of China
- Where:
- Wenzhou, China
- When:
- Est. Completion April 2026
- What:
- Architecture
- Interior Design
- Cultural
- Civic
- Recreation
400 m2Size |
|
moving through the landscape
While the pavilion serves as a symbolic and structural centerpiece, the true defining element of the Canadian exhibit is the landscape itself. Designed as an immersive journey across Canada’s six distinct ecological zones—West Coast, Prairies, Arctic, Mountains, Boreal Forest, and East Coast—the garden invites visitors to engage with the diversity of Canadian terrain through native plant species, topographic variation, atmospheric soundscapes, and regional scents. The landscape is not a backdrop, but an active, sensorial narrative. A continuous walking trail guides visitors through each biome, gradually revealing new perspectives of both the site and the pavilion. Carefully embedded into the mountainous hillside, the pavilion avoids imposing on the garden, instead emerging organically from the terrain. Landscape and architecture are conceived as a unified experience—one that embodies Canada's deep connection to land, ecology, and cultural identity.
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