Cosmic Echo: A Celestial Amphitheater of Sound, Light, and Space

Project Profile

1. Project Statement

Nestled within the dynamic landscape of the Dongyuegu Music and Performance Valley, Cosmic Echo (听影) is an architectural sculpture that transcends the conventional amphitheater, elevating performance spaces into an immersive sensory experience. Designed as an asymmetrical concrete cone, this structure is a poetic interplay of form, sound, and light, embodying the universal rhythm that connects people to their environment.

2. Design Strategy

A Sculptural Form Inspired by Richard Serra

The defining characteristic of Cosmic Echo is its bold, sculptural geometry. The form takes inspiration from the powerful spatial manipulations of Richard Serra’s large-scale steel sculptures, which create dynamic and shifting perspectives as one moves through them. In this case, the structure’s asymmetrical concrete shell cradles a stairway that spirals upwards between two imposing walls. This stairway is more than a mere passage; it is a transformative journey that leads visitors to an elevated observation platform overlooking the city and the surrounding natural landscape.

The spiral movement is an essential design element, encouraging an introspective ascent while offering framed glimpses of the sky and landscape at every step. This passageway serves multiple purposes: it is a circulation route, a vantage point, and an architectural metaphor for ascension, contemplation, and discovery.

A Multi-Layered Experience: Acoustics and Reflection

At the base of the cone lies a circular reflecting pool—an essential component that transforms Cosmic Echo into an auditory and visual instrument. The pool’s still water acts as both a mirror and a sound amplifier. As visitors stand at its edge and gaze upward, they engage in a unique visual dialogue with the sky, experiencing an altered perception of space. This upward perspective enhances the structure’s celestial theme, reinforcing its connection to the cosmic rhythm of light and shadow.

The pool also plays a crucial role in the acoustic dynamics of the space. Sound waves interact with the curved concrete surfaces, creating reverberations that give the amphitheater its unique sonic character. These reflections amplify live performances, turning even the softest sounds into immersive auditory experiences. This intentional acoustic design allows Cosmic Echo to function both as a performance venue and a contemplative space where visitors can experience the natural resonance of their surroundings.

Seamless Integration with the Performance Valley

Beyond its role as an individual landmark, Cosmic Echo is deeply integrated into the larger architectural and ecological framework of the Dongyuegu Music and Performance Valley. The stairway serves as a critical connector, linking the amphitheater with adjacent service buildings and corridors. This strategic placement ensures that the structure is not isolated but instead becomes a fluid extension of the larger performance landscape.

In addition, Cosmic Echo aligns with the site’s broader sponge-city strategy, which embraces water as a living element rather than a force to be controlled. The reflecting pool, positioned within this flood-resilient landscape, symbolizes harmony between built structures and natural processes, reinforcing the project’s commitment to ecological sustainability.

3. Conclusion: A Cosmic Performance of Light, Space, and Sound

Cosmic Echo is more than an amphitheater—it is a vessel for artistic expression, an instrument for sound, and a canvas for light and shadow. Through its sculptural form, acoustic reverberations, and spatial interplay, it creates a profound connection between human experience and the natural environment. Within the broader vision of the Dongyuegu Music and Performance Valley, Cosmic Echo stands as an enduring testament to the power of architecture to shape and enhance sensory experiences.

By transforming an amphitheater into a dynamic interplay of movement, reflection, and sound, this structure redefines how people engage with performance spaces. In Cosmic Echo, architecture itself becomes an art form—one that invites visitors to listen, observe, and become part of the cosmic rhythm that defines our universe.