The Mushroom by ZJJZ Atelier
The Mushroom is a surreal forest retreat located in Xinyu, China, designed by ZJJZ Atelier in 2020.
Located near Fairy Lake, an area with over 1600 years of history, this retreat provides guests with the opportunity to relax and enjoy nature. The two-volume design features a panoramic window and a skylight to bring nature into the space, while the steel structure and granolithic concrete cladding ensures that the building will harmoniously blend into the surrounding environment.
About The Mushroom
Experiencing Romance and Nature at The Mushroom House
Located in Xinyu, Jiangxi Province, China, The Mushroom house is located near Fairy Lake, a well-known scenic locale with a romantic background based on a 1600-year-old Chinese tale. As this is a romantic site that holds a place in folk culture, the client planned a surreal retreat to allow guests to escape from mundane life, relax, and enjoy nature.
Exploring the Relationship between Nature and Architecture
The Mushroom is located in a pine forest nearby the lake and thus handling the relationship between nature and the architecture became the essential approach of the design. The architectural form of the Mushroom is composed of two simple volumes according to the functions. The main part of the Mushroom is the guest room space which has a panoramic window set up near the viewing height. This allows guests to be immersed in the surrounding nature while sitting on chairs or leaning on the bed. The loft serves as a child area, linked by the small-scale stairs. The pure white cone-shaped roof is rounded on top, creating a sense of unbounded extension to the space.
Bathroom and Storage with Natural Touches
The bathroom and storage space of the Mushroom house is arranged in a simple rectangular volume, which is inserted into the main body of the Mushroom. A horizontal window is designed next to the bathtub, avoiding the view from pedestrian path to ensure privacy, while bringing nature into the space. Circular skylight at the top introduces different expressions of light and shadows with the change of time and weather. This poetic space also serves as the entrance lobby of the house, where the guests often visit and linger.
Minimizing Impact on the Site with Lifted Steel Structure
The Mushroom house adopts a lifted steel structure to minimize the impact of construction on the site. As time goes by, green plants on the ground will gradually spread to embrace the building. The cone-shape roof is cladded with pine woods, while the rest of the house is coated with granolithic concrete. The material changes in colour with humidity and time, allowing the building to harmonize with the surrounding natural environment.
Photography courtesy of ZJJZ Atelier
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- by Matt Watts
