Yunyang Riverfront Visitor Center in Chongqing / Atelier Deshaus

Yunyang is located in the hinterland of the Three Gorges Dam area in Chongqing, and the county sits on the southern slope of Longji Ridge north to the Yangtzi River. A visitor center was planned along the riverfront greenbelt to serve the citizens for leisure. The client wanted to fill up the small bay down the Yunyang Port and reclaim it as the site for the project. In contrast to the grand Yangtzi River, the tranquil bay has a unique landscape character. Its north, east and downstream shores are natural cliffs falling straight into the water, while the greenbelt down the bay was to be put on top of the cliff. The west and upstream shores are slopes leading into the water, currently being transformed into engineered river bank and revetment, where the greenbelt upstream will be placed in the future. According to the building scheme, the embankment construction would stretch almost straight from the upstream all the way down to the east-side cliff of the bay. The connection between the bay and the river would thus be cut off, and the bay would turn into stagnant water, if not to be filled up. As the river bank extends to the cliff, the greenbelt on the bank is still more than ten meters lower than that on top of the cliff, which also makes it difficult to bridge the two.