Emerald Screen Pergola by Wutopia Lab
In March 2024, the innovative design firm Wutopia Lab unveiled its latest project, the Emerald Screen Pergola, at Bogong Island Ecology Park in Wuxi, China. This structure reinterprets an iconic feature of classical Chinese garden design, blending modern materials with traditional aesthetics to create a dynamic, evolving architectural experience. The pergola draws on the concept of roofless corridors and pavilions made from natural materials like bamboo or wood, which are designed to support climbing plants that gradually create a green, lush canopy.
In classical Chinese culture, these pergolas hold cultural significance, serving as both a visual element and a focal point for gatherings and celebrations related to flowers. The style of these flower-covered trellises has been immortalized in traditional Chinese paintings, but as temporary structures, few remain intact within preserved classical gardens today.
Previously, Bogong Island had a trellis that extended for 1.2 kilometers, originally adorned with flowering plants like wisteria and roses. However, the aging steel structure had deteriorated, posing safety risks and ultimately requiring a complete reconstruction. Wutopia Lab reimagined this corridor with a creative approach that took inspiration from natural elements. Using the shape of leaves as a guiding design motif, the firm created a varied configuration of walls and roof structures.
These elements change throughout the length of the corridor, sometimes standing independently, overlapping, or vanishing altogether. This varied structural design not only revitalizes the once-uniform trellis but also introduces an interplay of light and shadow that evokes the image of a Dragon Dance, a feature that inspired the name “wandering dragon-like Emerald Screen Pergola.”
To achieve this effect, the architects designed a framework of rounded steel that supports white-painted steel mesh, providing an airy, ethereal quality reminiscent of mist. Even before the plants have climbed and woven through the structure, this “mist” effect creates a unique, ephemeral aesthetic that harmonizes with the park’s natural beauty.
The corridor’s design includes a central pavilion, envisioned as both an entrance to the corridor and the park itself. This “flower pavilion” draws on Wutopia Lab’s innovative use of steel mesh, layering it in feather-like shapes to form a semi-transparent yet strikingly central element without a roof. Referred to by the architect as a “semi-transparent Pantheon,” this pavilion will be a focal point, emphasizing the park’s renewal.
The project is divided into three distinct phases. In the initial stage, the structure itself, with its white mesh forms, is the primary visual feature, standing as a stark yet harmonious element in the natural landscape. During the second phase, climbing plants will begin to grow over the framework, gradually transforming it into a living, green corridor. Finally, in the third phase, an array of flowering plants, including ivy, jasmine, honeysuckle, and wisteria, will bloom sequentially, bringing vibrant colors and textures that will evoke a sense of the structure coming to life within its natural surroundings.
Wutopia Lab’s Emerald Screen Pergola embodies a blend of traditional design principles and contemporary architectural techniques, combining cultural heritage with modern innovation. Through this thoughtful design, the firm brings new life to the pergola, honoring its historical roots while setting it apart as a unique, living structure that evolves through the seasons. The Emerald Screen Pergola redefines what an architectural installation can be, demonstrating Wutopia Lab’s commitment to modernizing traditional forms with an artistic and environmentally integrated approach.
Photography by CreatAR Images, courtesy of Wutopia Lab, shared with permission
