The great bureaucracies of China have since ancient times been housed in monumental, imposing structures. This administrative building for the People's Procuratorate of Beijing attempts to be more user-friendly. Grass, scree, brick, battens and stone benches define linear strips of landscape that break the huge building down to an 'amiable' scale. The planting - bamboo, firs and plum trees - evokes memories of the traditional Chinese garden. The building is clad in glass curtain wall, fair-face concrete panels and a metal lattice wall system inspired by another traditional element - wooden lattices.

Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture