Photography is by Ansis Starks.
This is one of those things you really wish you could see in person!
Monks perform levitation over a huge wind tunnel at this amphitheatre, which was designed by Latvian studio Mailītis Architects for a mountain range in central China. The Shaolin Flying Monks Theatre stands on a slope covered in cypress trees on Songshan Mountain – a mountain range in Henan Province.
The mountains are home to the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Shaolin Monastery, which is also considered to be the birthplace of Zen Buddhism and Kung-Fu martial arts.
Tasked with creating an amphitheatre to host weekly shows where local monks as well as the general public can try flying, Riga-based Mailītis Architects wanted to create a building that respects its natural surroundings.
Click all the images for full size! There’s much more at Dezeen.
I saw this a while ago, and figured you’d find your way to it eventually.
It’s a wind tunnel that is a mountain in its own right. Well, almost… I can’t imagine how incredible the view would be while flying up there!