Designing architecture intended simultaneously for humans and other species means questioning some of the mechanisms through which space is conventionally organised, separated and controlled. In Yixing, in China’s Jiangsu Province, GOA – Group of Architects addresses this theme with The Earth Valley Theater, a 9,200-square-metre open-air theater conceived as a place of interaction between spectators, landscape and the flight of birds. Rather than simply occupying the valley, the project takes its morphology as a generative principle, transforming terrain, architecture and theatrical infrastructure into parts of a single system.
The complex is located among the hills of the Mingling Mountains, near Lake Taihu, in a region historically associated with Yixing pottery production and extensive bamboo forests. These two elements enter the project not through a literal reproduction of traditional forms, but through an exploration of materials and construction techniques. The surfaces of the moulded concrete recall the irregular texture of clay, while the enclosures of the spaces dedicated to birds reinterpret bamboo weaving through contemporary construction systems.
The T-shaped configuration of the valley establishes the overall layout. A broader north-south axis accommodates the arrival sequence and performance area, while a narrower secondary valley running east-west houses the spaces dedicated to the birds. The topography thus naturally differentiates visitor circulation, service routes and paths associated with animal care, reducing the need for additional elements of separation.
Access is provided through three pavilions with elementary geometries, set within a system of terraces that gradually guides visitors towards the theater. Beneath these surfaces, most of the supporting functions are accommodated, from ticketing and commercial spaces to rehearsal rooms, dressing rooms, offices and technical facilities. Functional complexity is therefore absorbed into the construction of the ground, allowing the continuity of the landscape to remain the predominant visual element.
At the centre of the complex, the approximately 2,300-seat amphitheater is carved into the natural topography and organised through a sequence of stepped seating terraces. Lowering the auditorium in relation to the surrounding ground levels reduces the visual impact of the large theatrical programme while simultaneously altering the relationship between audience and stage. The birds’ flight paths are considered an integral component of the spatial design, determining heights, slopes and distances between the different parts of the amphitheater.
The stage therefore does not function as an autonomous backdrop separated from the landscape. The terrain, vegetation and sky become directly involved in the construction of the performance, while birds can fly above or close to the spectators. In this way, the project abandons the clear separation between auditorium, stage and natural environment that characterises traditional theater typologies, creating a condition in which architecture functions primarily as an infrastructure for interaction.
This approach also involves redefining the spaces traditionally intended for animals. The aviaries are not conceived as enclosed exhibition devices, but as supporting structures within a system that allows autonomous flight. The project was developed together with specialists from Puy du Fou, integrating biological requirements, daily management and the operational needs of performances from the earliest design stages. Lightweight steel structures support shaped HDPE mesh enclosures designed to provide ventilation and shade while reducing reflections, while the flooring incorporates layers of natural soil and river sand to promote drainage and comfort.
Material and artifice nevertheless remain clearly legible. The concrete used for the seating terraces and bases is digitally processed and subsequently finished to create rough, low-reflective surfaces. The treatment references the local ceramic tradition while also serving a practical purpose, reducing glare and providing surfaces better suited to interaction with animals. Similarly, the aviary enclosures translate the image of woven bamboo into lightweight prefabricated systems designed to withstand weather conditions.
The Earth Valley Theater thus constructs its identity through a continuous overlap between natural and artificial landscapes. The sequence of terraces, the auditorium carved into the terrain and the aviaries embedded within the lateral valley progressively dissolve the distinction between building and ground, while the requirements of flight directly inform the architectural section. The presence of birds is not added retrospectively to an already defined theatrical device; instead, it participates in determining distances, sightlines, materials and the infrastructure governing the operation of the entire complex.
CREDITS
Project: The Earth Valley Theater
Architects: GOA – Group of Architects
Location: Yixing, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
Year: 2025
Photography: Chen Xi Studio
