Qiaotou site is an indispensable part of Shangshan cultural archaeological excavation, an important archaeological discovery in Zhejiang Province in recent years. As the excavation continues, more and more artefacts were unearthed, attracting experts, scholars and media. As a result, the local government plans to build a visitor center nearby to provide basic information and interview reception services.

The discovered archaeological sites are located in the southeast of the construction land. On the construction land stands a simple rural auto parts market, which is composed of a whole hard concrete floor and a simple bungalow. Although the land is not predicted to be a key excavation site, the construction land is nevertheless defined as the site’s surrounding area.

From the very beginning, a construction strategy with minimum land impact was confirmed in order to protect the older soil layer beneath the surface. The new building is rebuilt entirely within the outline of the existing one; a raft shallow foundation with minimum embedded depth is adopted to float the visitor center above the ground. At the same time, the large area of hard square pavement is demolished, revealing the natural soil and vegetation, to create a courtyard separating the noisy road outside and the visitor center. The long stretch of bungalow is partially demolished from the middle, providing a viewpoint from the visitor center to the excavation site. The redefined single-storey visitor center is divided into three units: exhibition hall, academic exchange area and reception area; interlinked by the corridor and weaved together under the same large roof. In the future, the three units can be demolished separately in accordance to the needs of the excavation process.

The exterior of the visitor center was designed to avoid any symbolic references to the cultural identity of the site. Instead, it adopts horizontal lines and traditional charcoal wooden sidings, which presents the visitor center as a cabin in the forest, quietly accompanying the process of the discovery.