Volcano-In Visitor Center in Xilinhot

About

PLAT ASIA has completed the first phase of the Baiyinkulun Steppe & Volcano resort complex, located in the Xilingol Steppe in China's Inner Mongolia region. This initial stage includes a visitor center and a hotel, both within a C-shaped extinct volcano that started to erupt about 150,000 years ago. The site is part of a group of 108 volcanoes, including Baiyinkulun, in an area rich in natural resources. During site analysis, the Chinese firm PLAT ASIA – led by Donghyun Jung and Baoyang Bian – spotted a large excavated area in the western sector of the volcanic cone. To take advantage of this preexisting alteration, the project places the visitor center right there. The architecture is thus conceived as a tool to ‘heal’ the site, integrate with the volcanic form, and minimize its environmental impact. The concept is based on the dialogue between architecture, the steppe, and the volcano. A curved roof and three circular volumes, arranged at different heights, follow the natural topography and evoke the conical silhouette of the volcano. A continuous, winding corridor 274 meters long connects the volumes like an enveloping path, offering constant views of the volcanic landscape. Visitor services, a café-bookstore, exhibition halls, administrative offices, and a restaurant are organized inside.