Winner: Architecture project of the year and cultural project of the year 2024. Omno Lab has designed the Shannan Beehive Observation Cabin in Shannan City, Tibet, China.

The Beehive Observation Cabin project is situated amid the mountains in Shannan City, on top of the "roof of the world" in Tibet.

Initially, the space was an orchard cultivated by the Tibetan ancestors of Jieba Township 60 years ago and has now transformed into a honey bee foraging area.

"We designed it both for the bees that live here and for the visitors who set foot on this land because of their faith," said Omno Lab.

"At the same time, this is also a rural revitalisation project; the honey from Tibet has excellent quality; we also hope that through such a project, we attract more tourists into Tibet, into Shannan, to learn about the people and natural things here, and in this way to bring some economic benefits to the park and nearby villagers."

Given the fragile ecology of the high-altitude plateau, sustainability and local materials in the structural and material choices were prioritised to minimise the impact on the natural terrain.

Studio: Omno Lab
Project: Shannan Beehive Observation Cabin
Credits: Tibet Yebanfengsheng Cultural Tourism Development, Shen Gao, Qiwei Jiang, Tianli Chen and Chenyang Wang