MIRAGE
Gaoyou Lake, the sixth-largest freshwater lake in China, is located between Anhui and Jiangsu provinces. The site, situated along the edge of the lake, consists of a wetland connected to a sheltered fishing bay used by local fishermen. As part of the broader Gaoyou Lake ecosystem, the area has gradually deteriorated under the pressure of rapid urbanization, while the once-celebrated scenery of Gaoyou Lake recorded in 1665 has gradually faded into a distant mirage.
The project proposes a low-intervention ecological strategy that restores habitats for local species while encouraging people to reconnect with the landscape. Through simple and economical construction and maintenance methods, the design establishes an ecologically sustainable system that allows natural processes and human activities to coexist over time.
The proposal restores the abandoned lakeside landscape through minimal intervention while preserving the existing ecological character of the site. Wetlands, riparian forests, reed zones, and upland lawns are reorganized into a continuous ecological system that supports habitat restoration and seasonal biodiversity.
Author/Credit: Chuan Liu
