Located on a prime site in the heart of Yiwu, Greentown Fengqi Yilu is conceived as a tranquil dwelling rooted in nature yet embraced by the city. The name “Yilu” reflects a philosophy of seclusion—an aspiration to retreat from the urban clamor and return to simplicity and authenticity. The classical phrase “Trees grow without order, stones rest without position; dwellings are unpretentious, the mind unburdened” encapsulates the core design thinking: a return to enduring, poetic garden-making, with a conscious restraint on ornamentation and symbolic figuration. Instead, the focus lies on emotional resonance through interior sightlines and the immersive act of wandering. Through the concepts of “seasonal landscapes” and a “three-dimensional garden,” the design responds to the ideal of a hidden sanctuary at the core of contemporary urban life.

Spanning nearly 200 meters, the project’s urban frontage avoids the conventional use of boundary walls to separate inside from outside. Instead, it strategically retreats to create a shared public realm, reintroducing layers of wild, mountainous greenery that veil the architecture. On the outside lies the bustle of the city; on the inside, a mood of quiet seclusion unfolds—achieved through layered plantings and a series of screening garden walls that guide a gradual emotional transition inward.

Inspired by the imagery of a “jade lotus pedestal,” the entrance unfolds with a dignified jade-like gateway, beyond which shimmers a fleeting play of light and shadow. Sunlight filters through narrow slits, gently falling upon the still water below. The interplay of light and the soft sound of water creates a powerful sense of separation between outside and within. This space becomes a vessel for garden emotion—a spiritual threshold attuned to the nuances of daylight, rainfall, and the turning of seasons. It subtly signals the beginning of a new spatial sequence, offering a momentary escape from the city’s commotion.

Within the internal garden sequence, architectural volumes are artfully deconstructed into scattered “scenic vessels,” each embedded within a unique natural setting. Functional rooms are positioned at varying elevations across a dual-level spatial system that negotiates a vertical drop of nearly 10 meters. Architecture, landscape, and interior spaces are intricately nested, creating a loosely composed, garden-like layout that celebrates spatial contrast and depth. The composition balances openness and enclosure, with richly layered scenes that seamlessly interweave indoor and outdoor experiences.

A meandering water system threads through the entire site, linking the views of each courtyard and composing a continuously shifting landscape beyond every window. The changing sounds and forms of water—stream to brook, pond to lake—create a rhythmic spatial narrative that culminates in the central courtyard’s focal point: the Lotus Lake.

The name “Lotus Lake” draws inspiration from the site’s historical context in Qianhong, once situated just north of the ancient Lotus Lake. We envisioned gathering water into a tranquil basin, embodying the auspicious ideals of “embracing wind and qi, collecting harmony and blessings”—a sentiment we hope future residents will intuitively feel.

As one walks alongside the stream, every turn reveals a carefully composed scene, like a framed landscape painting. Each ascent offers a distinct emotional experience, while the entire journey allows for immersion in a cohesive, overarching atmosphere. This is the full expression of garden emotion—where scenery, movement, and feeling are intertwined to the highest degree.

A bridge guides movement; a pavilion invites stillness and contemplation. Together, they create a complete spatial rhythm of “walk – pause – observe.” Within the landscape, we placed a teahouse and a timber bridge to reconstruct a private, introspective sequence—a landscape designed for the individual in motion. Whether crossing the bridge or resting within the teahouse, one becomes enveloped by the cyclical flow of the seasons.

Surrounding Lotus Lake are four primary functional spaces, each framing one of the site’s grandest scenic windows. A vertical belt of evergreen trees forms the distant backdrop, lifting the visual horizon and deepening the sense of spatial retreat. Closer to the viewer, layered groves of maple species provide rich seasonal variation—together composing both a large-scale, immersive emotional atmosphere and delicate, treetop-level nuances.

The site’s topographical differences create a three-dimensional color spectrum:

— At the base, moss carpets the ground in a muted tone.

— In the middle layer, an array of maples with diverse leaf shapes and colors form the visual centerpiece.

— Above, floating crowns of red pines add a drifting, airy texture.

Together, they compose a spatially layered landscape painting—one that transforms with the seasons and invites contemplation from every angle.

“To plant rare trees in the mountains is to compose a natural garden.” On the lower level, each functional space captures a distinct and poetic framed view—an ever-changing composition of botanical color. Here, vibrant gardens bloom like woven tapestries, framed within the shifting play of interior light and shadow. As the seasons turn, these scenes continue to evolve, quietly influencing the moods of those observing from within.

“Green Reflection Courtyard”

In this courtyard, polished stone surfaces mimic the texture of flowing water, reflecting the greenery and sky beyond the garden walls. A lotus-leaf sculpture, gently poised upon the water’s surface, anchors the scene with quiet elegance and vitality—evoking a serene, poetic atmosphere infused with the spirit of the East.

Within the fabric of the city, Yilu delicately sketches the enduring power of nature—preserving the brilliance of the four seasons within. Every moment, whether now or then, here or elsewhere, becomes a scene of quiet beauty.

Project Name: Greentown YIWU · Fengqi Yilu Residence
Location: Yiwu, Zhejiang Province, China
Site Area: 7,000 m²
Completion Year: 2025
Client: Greentown Yiwu
Landscape Design: Change Studio
Architectural Design: Elephant Architecture Design Co., Ltd
Interior Design: Shenzhen Horizontal Design Co., Ltd.
Landscape Construction: Hangzhou Lvzhen Municipal Landscape Engineering Co., Ltd.
Signage Design: Aoying Design Consulting (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
Photography: Wang Ning