Wufu Longjing Agricultural Products Exhibition Center

Nestled at the entrance of the expansive Wufu Longjing Smart Agricultural Creation Park in Baofeng Town, Zhushan County, the Wufu Longjing Agricultural Products Exhibition Center by Describing Architecture Studio serves as both a gateway and a landmark. With a built area of 1,200 square meters, the center is part of a broader rural revitalization strategy aiming to develop a billion-yuan agricultural processing industry.

Set within a 1,200-acre agricultural zone, the exhibition center connects Longjing Village and Hanxihe Village, uniting smart agriculture, agritourism, education, research, and local commerce under one architectural vision. Its purpose is to catalyze economic upliftment and sustainable growth by benefiting over 1,000 households in the surrounding region.

Design Concept: Rural Openness Meets Functional Flexibility

Breaking away from the closed systems typical of high-tech greenhouses nearby, the exhibition center is intentionally open, breathable, and interactive. The structure adopts the vernacular form of a “shed”, housing scattered enclosed spaces such as retail areas, offices, restrooms, and exhibition rooms beneath its extended steel roof.

The design provides cross-ventilated, transitional spaces that reduce dependence on air conditioning, promote energy efficiency, and allow for seamless movement between indoor and outdoor areas—essential for an agritourism hub.

Spatial Experience: Journey Under a Modulating Canopy

The visitor journey begins at a welcoming high entrance and transitions under a gradually descending roofline. As visitors proceed deeper, the canopy lowers in scale, eventually forming a courtyard-like space that fosters human-scale intimacy. This architectural progression mirrors the journey through the park itself—expansive at the entry, focused and contemplative at the exit.

Natural drainage techniques complement the design: translucent roof slits allow visitors to observe rainwater falling in delicate sheets, and water runoff is guided naturally through graded levels and steel channels, reinforcing the sustainable, low-tech ethos of rural architecture.

Construction and Material Strategy

The building uses light steel construction for ease of assembly and local material procurement. Lattice columns support beams at varying heights, creating a subtle 5% gradient for effective drainage. Strip lighting embedded along these beams provides efficient illumination with minimal visual clutter.

The roof system features corrugated tiles with thermal insulation, while interior partitions are flexibly composed of glass, wood, or solid wall finishes, responding to functional needs. Surplus steel was repurposed to fabricate custom furniture and display fixtures, minimizing construction waste and reinforcing the project's commitment to material sustainability.

The surrounding courtyard is paved with concrete-stabilized crushed stone, and leftover rock from nearby hills forms a naturally integrated boundary fence. A canal-fed water feature, intended for future use as a fish pond, adds ecological vibrancy to the building’s immediate environment.

The Wufu Longjing Agricultural Products Exhibition Center redefines how architecture can mediate between rural development, agricultural innovation, and tourism engagement. Through its thoughtful integration of spatial flexibility, ecological strategies, and local materials, the project becomes a model for future rural public architecture in China and beyond.

All Photographs are works of Lian He,