Hotel South Taihu: A Harmonious Blend of Architecture and Nature

Yuhong Wang and Xuan Wu's Award-Winning Design Reshapes Resort Architecture

The design team drew inspiration from the natural landscape of the site. The terrain, high in the west and low in the east, offered a unique challenge. The designers decided to use the existing “zigzag” public road on Xiaomei Mountain to connect all parts of the hotel space and organize all traffic entrances and exits. This approach minimized interference with the current terrain and preserved the natural beauty of the mountain.

The hotel's unique properties lie in its harmonious integration with the surrounding environment. The public area of the hotel, the largest monomer of the project, is arranged in the shape of an "L" facing Taihu Lake. This design extends the landscape horizontally to the largest extent, and the lobby at the highest point of the building seamlessly connects to the surface of Taihu Lake through a rimless landscape pool. The guest rooms are scattered in the mountains on both sides of the hotel's public area, forming a relatively independent and interrelated group relation according to the terrain context.

The facade of the hotel is built with deep horizontal cornices, emphasizing horizontal ductility and increasing architectural shadow, allowing the building to blend better with its surroundings. The external wall materials of the building are guided by the color of Taihu stone, a local material sourced from Bianshan Mountain. Granite with large color difference and different width is selected to arrange in a certain modulus, combined with rubble materials to integrate with the mountain forest environment, forming a harmonious overall tone.

The landscape design strategy prioritizes the retention of existing natural and artificial landscape resources. Large trees such as camphor tree, michelia alba, albizzia, and pine tree are completely preserved, and areas with insufficient landscape are restored by “darning” construction method. Enclosed and semi-enclosed courtyards of various sizes are designed between and inside several buildings to become an extension of the interior space, introducing natural light and wind to complement the external landscape.

The project started in 2018 and was completed in 2020. It is located in No. 1 Xiaomeishan, Taihu Road, Taihu Tourist Resort, Wuxing District, Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province, China. The design team faced several challenges in the process, including the protection of the mountain site, the arrangement of architectural form according to the landform, and the use of natural height difference to allow each group of buildings to have a better view of the landscape. Despite these challenges, the team was able to create a design that not only fits the mountain but also offers a unique resort experience.

The Hotel South Taihu project is a testament to the power of innovative design and environmental preservation. It was awarded Silver in A' Architecture, Building and Structure Design Award in 2022, a prestigious recognition for top-of-the-line, creative, and professionally remarkable designs that illustrate outstanding expertise and innovation. This award is a testament to the design team's commitment to creating a harmonious blend of architecture and nature.