Mauro Pagliaretti

MAJIAYAO OBSERVATORY CENTER

Lintao, Gansu, China

A PROFOUND EXPERIMENTAL WORK OF "ARCHITECTURE OF NATURE"

Majiayao ruins are located in Lintao County. Gansu Province, at the intersection of Taohe River and its tributary Bamayu canyon. lt belongs to the ancient settlement site from Neolithic Age to Bronze Age In 1924, Swedish geologist Andersen discovered the Majiay ao site on the west bank of Taohe River in Lintao County. Along with the excavation of a large number of painted pottery vessels, it has been proved to be the most important prehistoric civilization in the upper reaches of the Yellow River in the late Neolithic period, and is known as Majiayao Culture.

PUBLICATION

Side view of a toy spaceship with shadows on its surface, against a black background.

Majiayao Ruins Observatory is located on the top of Loess Plateau, about 60 m high relative to Taohe River. To the east, Majiayao overlook the Taohe River and the alluvial plain between the Loess Plateau and Taohe River, to the north, Majiayao overlook Bamayu canyon and Majiayao ruin sites. When l stood on the top of Loess Plateau for the first time,l was full of imagination. The unique geological and climatic environment of the western regions created a unique land art in the world;

Aerial view of a landscape showing the Majayao Ruins, Ruins Museum (Phase 2), and Bamayu Canyon, with labels indicating each location. Rural and agricultural areas with fields, roads, and scattered buildings are visible.

Aerial view of a landscape with scattered modern structures, pathways, and green terrain, labeled as a site plan.

Panoramic view of a landscape with terraced hills, greenery, and a small observatory in the distance, under a partly cloudy blue sky.

A person stands on a viewing platform built into the side of a grassy hill, taking a photo with a smartphone, with a scenic landscape of open land and cloudy sky in the background.

Thousands of gullies, like Bamayu canyon, run across the east and west, and resemble the uncanny workman- ship of nature, scratching on the extensive Loess Plateau, accompanied by the water rushing to the Taohe River. On the north bank of these gullies, there are many terraces back against mountains and facing south and water. Majiayao site is located on such typical terrace, which proves that our ancestors fully understood the natural, geological and climatic conditions:

Magnified view of a lunar module model on a textured white surface with shadows and contours, against a black background.

Close-up of a detailed model or sculpture of a dinosaur skull, focusing on the textured surface and bony structures against a black background.

Took full account of the sun location, built in the mountains while lived in the water, and avoided the wind and the sun. Our design concept originates from the perception of the natural geological characteristics of Lintao County in Northwest China and the survival wisdom of our ancestors. It is also a regional practice to explore the regional climate and cultural roots. Majiayao Ruins Observatory is deeply embedded in the Loess Plateau;

A detailed wooden model of a ship, showcasing the hull and deck structure, set against a black background.

Cross-section architectural drawing of a building on a hillside showing underground and above-ground levels, with trees and sky in the background.

A person standing outdoors near modern, curved architectural structures made of textured concrete, with a walkway and green grass, under a partly cloudy sky.

Interior of a modern architectural structure with large, spiraling, reddish-brown walls, wide staircase, and a distant figure standing at the top, with light streaming in through an opening.

Architectural rendering of a modern house built on a hillside with terraces, in a mountainous landscape under a cloudy sky, with silhouettes of people standing outside and a drone outline in the sky.

Along the side of Loess Plateau protruding to Bamayu canyon, a narrow horizontal seam is carved, just like the surrounding mountains showing different colors of soil layers, recording the geological age. The transverse seam is parallel to the plateau top and is highly integrated with many geological features of the Loess Plateau. This is also to convey a notion that the Loess Plateau is very flexible. Concealment is the attitude of the architectural intervention in a specifie context with controls, and cave is the metaphor of the architectural expression of prehistoric survival wisdom.