As we prepare to enter the Chinese New Year, it's important to explore the characteristics and representations of the Snake, the animal representing the year 2025. The Year of the Snake begins on January 29, 2025, and continues until February 16, 2026. 

This year will be characterized by wisdom, intuition, mystery, charm, and determination. Snakes are known for their analytical minds and ability to navigate complex situations, making it expected to be a transformative year filled with both luck and challenges. In the Chinese Zodiac, the twelve animals are as follows: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. According to the Five Elements Theory of Chinese mythology, which is also the source of the Zodiac Elements, the five elements are Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. 

This year is sometimes referred to as the Year of the Green Snake, as the tree symbolizes the green color. Additionally, snakes are regarded as healing creatures that encourage a more spiritual perspective through the healing powers of their physical form.

The Year of the Wood Snake: Growth, Creativity, Cooperation, and Flexibility

As a result, it is anticipated that this year will unfold in a more methodical and strategic manner, harnessing energy at the right moments. Key areas expected to see progress include agriculture, construction, beauty products, and politics, all benefiting from timely advancements.

When we examine the traits of wood, one of the five elements, we find that its characteristics include growth, creativity, cooperation, and flexibility. It is observed that the years associated with wood nourish the spirits of expansion and innovation.

Before the Chinese New Year, we examine the connection between snakes and architecture by highlighting the 10 most striking architectural projects around the world that represent the snake in their design. 

Read on for the 10 exemplary projects that represent or reference to Snake (in no particular order):

Jinghe New City Culture & Art Centre by Zaha Hadid Architects. Rendering © ATCHAIN

Jinghe New City Culture & Art Centre by Zaha Hadid Architects, Shaanxi, China, 2022

The Jinghe New City Culture & Art Centre, designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, represents the shape of a snake. Beneath the curving shell, the sinuous building produces its programmatic areas as it softly extends out into the city. The Jinghe Bay Academician Science & Technology Innovation district of the city is where the project is expected to be constructed. 

Zaha Hadid Architects connects a new multimedia library north of Jinghe Avenue by integrating the architectural scheme with the city's current urban layout, taking into account the site's existing constraints.

The Lascaux IV Caves Museum by Snøhetta and Duncan Lewis Scape Architecture. Image © Luc Boegly + Sergio Grazia

Lascaux IV Caves Museum by Snøhetta and Duncan Lewis Scape Architecture, Montignac, France, 2017

The new International Centre for Cave Art (Centre International d’Art Parietal) in Montignac, France, was designed by the Norwegian firm Snøhetta in partnership with SRA Architectes, Duncan Lewis Scape Architecture, and scenographer Casson Mann. It offers an immersive educational experience of the prehistoric Lascaux cave paintings.

Stretching along the boundary of an agricultural area characterized by human activity and a dense forest whose tall and dense foliage pushes the undergrowth into the shade, the snake-shaped building occupies 8,365 square meters of floor space.

Garden Hotpot Restaurant by MUDA-Architects. Image © Arch-Exist

Garden Hotpot Restaurant by MUDA-Architects, Chengdu, China, 2019

Near a eucalyptus forest near Chengdu, China, the Chinese architectural firm MUDA-Architects created a snake-shaped restaurant encircled by trees and a lotus pond. The 1,800-square-meter restaurant, known as Garden Hotpot Restaurant, is entirely open to the forest-enclosed natural environment and lacks any walls or partitions. 

The building's 88-mm thin columns resemble the verdant surroundings made up of the straight eucalyptus tree trunks; the structure tries to blend in as much as possible with the serene setting.

Smart Center by Studio Paul Kaloustian. Image courtesy of Paul Kaloustian Studio

Smart Center by Studio Paul Kaloustian, Debet, Armenia, 2018

In a rural region, the 5,000-square-meter Smart Center serves as a communal space for social, economic, and community programming that focus on technology, sustainability, the arts, music, contemporary healthcare and lifestyle, linguistics and languages, business, and civic involvement.

A smart center in a rural section of Armenia was designed by Paul Kaloustian Studio, an architecture firm located in Beirut. The center is shaped like a snake and features a continuous loop that accommodates a variety of programs for the city's rural areas. Developed by the Children of Armenia Fund (COAF), the organization planed to expand their community works with the Smart initiative.

Swatch Headquarters by Shigeru Ban. Image courtesy of Swatch

Swatch Headquarters by Shigeru Ban, Biel/Bienne, Switzerland, 2019

The headquarters of Swatch, a well-known Swiss watchmaker founded in 1983 by Nicolas Hayek and a division of The Swatch Group, was completed by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, who was awarded the Pritzker Prize.  After nearly five years of development, the new Swatch headquarters in Biel, Switzerland, was completed in 2019. 

Its curved, snake-shaped shimmering form is regarded as one of the largest timber constructions in the world to date. The new Swatch building measures 240 meters in length and 35 meters in width. It is 27 meters high at its maximum point. The unconventional design fits very well with the urban setting while breaking the norms of traditional office building construction.

Yashima Mountaintop Park by Takashi Suo. Image © Laurian Ghinițoiu

Yashima Mountaintop Park by Takashi Suo, Takamatsu, Japan, 2022

A snake-shaped pavilion, designed by Kyoto-based architecture studio SUO, a partially raised promenade within the project offers a breathtaking view of the Seto Inland Sea's peak. Known as "Yashima Mountain-top Park," the building winds through the lush surroundings of Kagawa, Japan, creating an asymmetrical enclosure with a continuous walkway that encircles Yashima National Park.

In addition to becoming a landmark and observatory, the plan includes a multipurpose hall that can be used for conferences, meetings, or exhibitions. The soft curves, which are modeled after the mountain contours, encourage a sense of exploration that is further enhanced by the extensive use of translucent surfaces.

Nido de Quetzalcóatl (or Quetzalcóatl’s Nest) by Javier Senosiain. Image courtesy of Airbnb 

Nido de Quetzalcóatl (or Quetzalcóatl’s Nest) by Javier Senosiain, Naucalpan, Mexico City, 2007

The head of a giant snake emerging from the trees is covered with thousands of colorful beads, resembling a real snake skin. Named El Nido de Quetzalcóatl – or the Nest of Quetzalcóatl, completed in 2007 by Mexican architect Javier Senosiain, this project exemplifies his vision of organic architecture. 

The structure is a twisting, kaleidoscopic building with an iridescent appearance that stands out remarkably.The building contains ten apartments, each measuring approximately 2,200 square feet (205 square meters). One of the apartments houses a museum showcasing models from the architect’s career, while another serves as an Airbnb rental, starting at €367 per night.

Tree Snake Houses by Luís Rebelo de Andrade and Tiago Rebelo de Andrade. Image © Ricardo Oliveira Alves

Tree Snake Houses by Luís Rebelo de Andrade and Tiago Rebelo de Andrade, Bornes de Aguiar, Portugal, 2012

This house, which resembles a snake's head, is raised on thin columns with its large size, giving you the opportunity to get lost in nature. Designed by Luís Rebelo de Andrade and Tiago Rebelo de Andrade, the house, called Tree Snake Houses, these homes' project was created in collaboration with the Modular System Company. 

The goal was to obtain an item that would be far from both existing conceptions related to modular construction and orthogonality. A snake gliding between the trees is suggested by the distinctive design of the wood on the base and the slates. The mansion bursts into the viewer's range of vision like an untamed animal in its natural environment.

Taiwan Solar Powered Stadium by Toyo Ito. Image courtesy of Wisata Diary

Taiwan Solar Powered Stadium by Toyo Ito, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 2009

The Solar Powered Stadium by Japanese architect Toyo Ito opened in July 2013, coinciding with the start of the World Games. The open circle with a question mark on the 25,000-square-meter structure is frequently compared to the image of a dragon wagging its tail, an animal that is very symbolic in Asian culture. 

The roof looks scaly, like a metallic snakeskin, thanks to the solar panels. The stadium has started to be referred to by locals as "glass snake" and "dragon's tail." 8,844 solar panels cover the stadium's roof.

White Snake House by AUM Pierre Minassian. Image courtesy of AUM Pierre Minassian

White Snake House by AUM Pierre Minassian, France, 2012 

The building is a white snake-shaped structure in the center of the forest with a view of the French lake. The clients first intended to have their house built in the heart of the forest, but AUM Pierre Minassian persuaded them to put it on the lake instead. Two white concrete slabs make up the house. The house has several levels since the lower slab's level varies.

Named White Snake House, the house has a curved appearance, but its design primarily consists of straight lines. The technical complexity of the structure is completely overshadowed by the sense of lightness it evokes, giving the impression that it is floating on the water. A dark concrete swimming pool serves to connect the house with the surrounding water. Access to the house is provided by a telescopic footbridge that links it to the bank.

In the meantime, please read the WAC's earlier article about the Dragon of The Year.

celebration Chinese New Year wood snake