Cuboid hotel modernizes the traditional Chinese homestead
Image credit: Lu Qishui, Ma Qing
Project: 10³ Boutique Hotel
Award: Commercial – Hospitality and retail, Gold, 2022
Location: Ningbo city, Zhejiang Province, China
Architect: LQS Architects
Client:10³ Boutique Hotel
“I love how it brings the light in and connects the inside with the outside by framing views of the garden and green spaces,” Judge: Roxanne Kaye
Named after the typical size of a rural homestead in China, the starkly beautiful 10³ Boutique Hotel’s clean, minimalist lines make a bold statement in this rural area. The hotel faces the sea on one side, and the mountains on the other – large picture windows make the most of these fabulous surroundings. Built on the site of a traditional country house, its design team wanted the striking white cubic building to offer a geometric reinterpretation of these traditional homes.
Design highlights:
The sunken semi-underground swimming pool provides a stand out design feature, in particular its plexiglass side with underwater views. Set in an austere but elegant courtyard and providing a stunning view through the floor to ceiling windows of the adjacent living room. The building’s sculptural façade features balconies overlooking the pool area and simple modern interiors that let the design do the talking.
Within a relatively limited plot area - in China, land supply is strictly controlled - the design team created a building as striking as it is functional. To make the most of the smaller plot they excavated the plot to a depth of 0.9 metres, which increased the ceiling height to 3.1 metres, and created a semi-underground space to accommodate the living room and the dining room. Space is further maximised through the addition of a rooftop platform.
Credits
Lead Architect: Lu Qishui, Ma Qing, Li Guobin
Design Team: Zhang Shijie, Rao Lixiao
Luxury hotel in a heritage setting
Image credit above: Shengliang Su
Project: The Unbound Collection by Hyatt
Location: Nanjing, China
Award: Commercial – Hospitality and retail, Silver, 2022
Architect: BUZZ/Büro Ziyu Zhuang
Client: Hyatt Hotels
“The building is dignified and magnificent, the design language is refined, and the structure is simple,” Guo Dan, Judge.
Two of the hotel buildings were already constructed according to a former design before the architect’s took on the renovation of this luxury hotel in Nanjing. The new design opens the building as a "C" shape to the west. By removing the ground floor envelopes of the original buildings and the new constructions, the urban space on the east and west sides are connected by the hotel site to create a natural transition from the forest park to the bustling city. Three blocks on the ground floor include the lobby and hall, the service centre for the hotel rooms and a meeting or wedding room for large-scale events. While the banquet hall and hotel rooms form a large, floating space on the first floor above.
Design highlights:
The outside space at this luxury hotel in Nanjing is just as important as the inside, featuring a series of small sunken courtyards with carefully arranged trees, stones and water. The boundaries between landscape and architecture are intentionally blurred, creating a permeable and boundless courtyard landscape for the hotel. The front lobby is a semi-open space while the copper door at the entrance produces a strong sense of traditional ritual, paying tribute to the hotel’s historical setting next to the Tomb of the King of Boni, Tianlong Temple and Yuhuatai Park.
Credits:
Lead Architects: Ziyu Zhuang; Zhengdong Qi; Na Li
