Case Study: Shipping Containers and Inflatables Form Down in the Clouds Pavilions

This cluster of three pavilions incorporates lighthearted and playful inflatables intended to evoke clouds. Set among the rice fields of Dun'ao Village in Zhejiang Province, the Down in the Clouds pavilions replace three abandoned structures on the site and aim to promote agrotourism in the area. Modified steel shipping containers and white inflatables provide visitors with a cafe, reading room and cinema. ‘The design seeks to amplify the atmosphere of stillness and peace, inviting visitors to pause and reconnect with the rural landscape,’ say the architects. ‘It also aims to rekindle interest in the often-overlooked agricultural regions of China, revealing the potential for built structures in a field to be lighthearted and playful in nature.’