Xiaoliangtan Garden by West 8

Designed for the 2024 Chengdu World Horticultural Expo, Xiaoliangtan Garden by West 8 reimagines the cultural memory of Chengdu’s mountain creeks into a contemporary public landscape. Known locally as “The Cool Garden,” the project offers a sensory environment where visitors are encouraged to slow down, listen to flowing water, feel pebbles beneath their feet, and gather under the shade of trees. Rather than functioning as a conventional show garden with prescribed routes, Xiaoliangtan proposes a more instinctive experience—one rooted in atmosphere, climate, and the everyday rituals of leisure that have long defined the region’s relationship with water and landscape.

Rooted in Chengdu’s Landscape Culture

The conceptual foundation of Xiaoliangtan Garden lies in a deeply local tradition: the custom of visiting shaded creeks on the outskirts of Chengdu to escape the heat, socialize with friends, and enjoy the calming presence of water. These informal gatherings—often accompanied by tea, conversation, and playful interaction with the stream—form part of the city’s collective memory.

West 8 translated this cultural practice into spatial design, not through symbolic references or monumental gestures, but through atmosphere and behavior. The garden does not impose a narrative; instead, it recreates the conditions that naturally invite rest, conversation, and exploration. The sound of water, the cooling effect of shade, and the tactile experience of stone and pebbles become the primary architectural elements.

A Garden Without a Prescribed Path

One of the project’s most distinctive qualities is the deliberate absence of a defined route or formal arrival sequence. Unlike traditional exhibition gardens that guide visitors through a choreographed experience, Xiaoliangtan adopts a non-hierarchical spatial structure. There is no entrance plaza, no main axis, and no climax point.

This openness allows visitors to approach the garden intuitively. People are invited to sit on the edges of stone terraces, step directly into the shallow streams, or simply observe others interacting with the space. This design strategy supports a more democratic use of the landscape, where the garden adapts to each visitor’s rhythm rather than prescribing how it should be occupied.

The result is a public space that feels less like an installation and more like a piece of urban nature that has always existed—gradually discovered rather than formally entered.

Topography, Water, and Material Logic

The spatial structure of Xiaoliangtan Garden is defined by three gently sloping terrains that guide streams toward a central basin. These slopes are carefully shaped to control the movement of water, allowing the flows to merge naturally and create a deeper, pebble-lined pool at the center. This basin becomes both a visual anchor and a social focus: a place where children play, adults linger, and groups naturally gather.

Materiality plays a crucial role in reinforcing the project’s connection to place. The garden is constructed primarily from locally sourced red sandstone, extracted from riverbeds within Sichuan province. This choice not only reduces environmental impact but also anchors the project within the geological identity of the region. The stone’s warm tones contrast subtly with the coolness of the water, enhancing the sensory richness of the space.

Pebbles, water, and stone are not treated as decorative elements but as functional landscape infrastructure. They shape movement, define microclimates, and support different forms of use—from quiet contemplation to playful interaction.

A Living Landscape Beyond the Expo

Although designed for the 2024 Chengdu World Horticultural Expo, Xiaoliangtan Garden was never intended as a temporary spectacle. Since its opening in September 2024, the project has continued to function as the surrounding park landscape matures. Trees are growing, vegetation is becoming denser, and the relationship between built elements and nature is evolving over time.

This long-term perspective reflects West 8’s broader landscape philosophy: creating frameworks rather than finished images. The garden is designed to age gracefully, allowing natural processes—plant growth, erosion, changing light conditions—to become part of the architectural experience. Over time, Xiaoliangtan will increasingly resemble the mountain creek environments that originally inspired it, blurring the distinction between designed landscape and natural terrain.

Social Space Through Climate and Sensory Experience

Beyond its formal qualities, Xiaoliangtan Garden demonstrates how landscape architecture can foster social interaction without relying on programmed activities. The cooling effect of flowing water, the comfort of shaded seating, and the tactile pleasure of walking barefoot across pebbles all contribute to a space that people want to inhabit for extended periods.

In this way, the project becomes a subtle but powerful example of climate-responsive public design. Rather than introducing technological solutions, it uses topography, water, and material to create microclimatic comfort—an increasingly relevant approach in the context of rising urban temperatures and the need for resilient outdoor spaces.

Conclusion

Xiaoliangtan Garden by West 8 is not defined by iconic form but by lived experience. Through a careful reinterpretation of Chengdu’s creekside traditions, the project creates a landscape where architecture, culture, and climate converge. Its open-ended spatial logic, local materiality, and focus on sensory interaction allow it to function as a genuine public space rather than a curated exhibit. As the garden continues to evolve beyond the Expo, it stands as a compelling model for contemporary landscape architecture—one that prioritizes atmosphere over image, behavior over spectacle, and long-term relevance over temporary impact.

Photography: ZiL ArchVisual