Local architecture practice Urlo Studio has based the design of a concrete-and-wood pavilion for cyclists on ancient Andean lookouts, embedding it in a sloped site outside of Quito, Ecuador.

Known as Pamba Bike Refuge, the 900-square-metre (9,675-square-foot) open-air structure serves as a shelter from the harsh Andean climate for people using the bike park that runs down Pambamarca Hill in Ascázubi, Ecuador.

The refuge is placed so that park users will naturally wander into it.

The Pamba Bike Refuge was designed as a shelter for cyclists in the surrounding park

Urlo Studio, which has offices in Quito, Ecuador and Valencia, Spain, placed the pavilion between the earth and the forest, using tinted concrete and a permeable wooden structure to mimic its surroundings, integrating into and engaging with the landscape rather than imposing itself on it.

The monumental concrete forms were informed by the ancient architecture of the mountainous region.

"The solid volumes on each side are reminiscent of ancient…