The design plans that MVRDV and HWC Architects unveiled for the renovation of Jialeshui, a popular scenic spot in Taiwan's southernmost region that is renowned for its amazing rock formations sculpted by wind and water, was recently chosen by the Pingtung County Government. 

Called Nature Rocks, the 140,000-square-metre project consists of a tourist centre, public spaces, kiosks, and road design. It presents a thorough masterplan that attempts to improve the site's tourism infrastructure while honoring its natural surroundings. It is based on a number of important structures that draw inspiration from the rocks themselves. 

The plan includes minor buildings, such as a central tourist center and three vantage points, inside the existing built footprint, enhances accessibility, and creates a network of new walkways and public areas.

Jialeshui is a picturesque location in Kenting National Park, which is a surprisingly unspoiled natural environment for Taiwan. It is situated in the country's far south. Strong winds and ocean waves have sculpted the region's soft sandstone coastline over thousands of years, creating a number of animal-like rock formations known by names including Rabbit Rock, Toad Rock, and Seal Rock. 

Despite being one of Taiwan's most well-known geological parks due to its natural features, Jialeshui lacks adequate facilities for tourists. 

Currently, a single road that winds through the environment divides the forest from the rocky shoreline; shuttle buses, pedestrians, and cyclists all use this constrained path. Typhoons and seawater have harmed the pavilions and kiosks dotted along the road.

The park's natural identity is enhanced as the old structure is replaced and improved by MVRDV's vision. To prevent altering the original natural landscape, all new construction will be limited to already-developed regions. 

The concept reimagines recreational routes as a cracked, rocky, naturalistic landscape that threads the forest and the ocean back together, breaking up the present straight road and drawing inspiration from the layered forms of the coastline. 

While some of the rock-like shards are extruded into buildings that mimic the natural features of the nearby rock formations and fit in with the surroundings, others establish different zones for public activities and circulation.

"What you see today at Jialeshui shows a clear boundary between the natural and the artificial; in turn, this artificial trail separates nature from itself, separating forest from coastline," said MVRDV founding partner Winy Maas. 

"In our design, the artificial elements feel take the shape of the surrounding nature, like natural extensions of the site rather than foreign objects."

"Our goal was never to impose architecture on the landscape, but to let it emerge from the natural conditions; to break the monotony of the straight line… and to emphasise that Nature Rocks!," Maas added.

A key component of the Jialeshui Rocks development is resilience and regeneration. Pavement fissures are used as passive drainage and protective buffers to assist control runoff and lessen damage from typhoons and flooding. 

By allowing vegetation to grow and establishing pathways for small animals to move between the beach and the forest, these fissures help promote biodiversity. Using natural forest formations as a foundation, a gradient planting method is implemented. 

Near the forest, there is an accumulation of tall, dense natural flora, which gradually gives way to low-growing, salt-tolerant species near the sea. Over time, moss and tiny plants will grow on the building surfaces itself. 

The concrete is the only material that can withstand the extreme conditions of the site, and it will recycle a portion of its aggregate from buildings that have been demolished.

Three sculptures create a friendly cluster at the park's entrance. The welcome center, café, and gift store are located on the biggest of these "rocks." 

There are facilities in the third building, and exhibition and environmental education spaces are in the second. The roof of the main building serves as a terrace for panoramic views and stargazing. Set within a sloping environment of small plateaus and plazas, this entrance cluster is ideal for festivals, markets, or just taking in the scenery.

For the last part of the route, the current road will be converted into a more accessible path for cyclists, pedestrians, and shuttle buses, with designated areas for rest and mobility. 

The waterfall, a sea viewpoint point, and the stone viewing deck are among the existing areas of interest where a number of smaller "stops" are placed. Viewpoints, kiosks, and other amenities are erected at each stop in place of the site's dilapidated existing structures.

MVRDV hopes to show how coastal areas may be improved in a sustainable and considerate manner with this project. Without overbuilding or disturbing the environment, Jialeshui's design enhances accessibility and fosters a visitor-friendly atmosphere while allowing the site's natural landscape to take center stage in determining its future. 

At the same time, it helps the county achieve its goal of making Jialeshui one of Taiwan's top geological parks, strengthening its reputation as a travel destination while maintaining its distinctive features.

Floor plan

Section coast

Section entrance

Concept architectural strategy

Step program

Step push and pull diagram

Structure diagram

Sustainability axonometric diagram

MVRDV recently presented their concept for Out of the Box, a project that includes a 25-story residential tower and a new streetscape area. Additionally, the firm added to Shanghai's expanding portfolio of West Bund cultural projects by converting a former cement factory into a cultural and recreational area. Moreover, MVRDV and Zecc Architecten won a competition for the transformation of the St. Francis of Assisi Church in Heerlen into a public swimming pool.

Project facts

Project name: Nature Rocks
Location: Manzhou Township, Pingtung County, Taiwan
Year: 2025
Client: Pingtung County Government

Architect: MVRDV
Founding Partner in charge: Winy Maas
Director: Gideon Maasland
Head of Taiwan: Hui Hsin Liao
Design Team: Valentina Fantini, Samuel Tam, Vivian Yang

Copyright: MVRDV Winy Maas, Jacob van Rijs, Nathalie de Vries

Collaborators

Co-architect: HWC Architects
Structural engineer: Cross Structural Engineer & Associates
MEP: LiPeng Professional Electrical Engineer Firm
Surveyor: JengShing Surveying and Mapping Engineering Co., Ltd. 

Environmental advisor: D.H. Engineering Consultants Ltd.

All images © MVRDV.

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