Savoir Resort: A Harmonious Blend of Tradition and Modernity

Karen Chang's Award-Winning Design Breathes New Life into Ancient Chinese Residences

The Savoir Resort, a hotel interior design project, is a remarkable transformation of old residences in the south lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Chang's design draws inspiration from the local cultural elements of these ancient dwellings. The layout, volume, and unique beauty of each building are respected, while modern elements are seamlessly integrated to shape an international luxury hotel that complements the Xixi National Wetland landscape.

One of the unique properties of this design is the careful consideration of indoor sight viewing. Chang adjusted the architectural layout and the window side of the building body, breaking through the sense of closure typical of Chinese-style buildings. This adjustment created clear and transparent viewing angles with glass windows. The interior space is separated into parts, ensuring landscapes are available at every corner of the building.

The Savoir Resort is realized using water stone, white paint, and wood finish, spread across a sprawling 40000 square meter area. The design adopts a subtraction method, simplifying the spatial vocabulary to play down the sense of form of indoor objects or hard decoration. The large area for windows breaks the sense of enclosure in a traditional building, fusing the indoor and the outdoor space as a whole.

The project was completed in March 2017 in Hangzhou, China, after five years of meticulous pondering. It was a challenge to balance traditional and modern aesthetics while ensuring openness facing waters and privacy for dwellers in each independent villa. Despite these challenges, Chang successfully created a free and open space order that aligns with the characteristics of modern times and the lifestyle of modern people.

The Savoir Resort is a testament to the concept of borderless design. The white wall and lime stones, typical materials in a Chinese style residence, are used extensively, resembling the white space in a Chinese ink painting. The design underscores integration with the landscape and blending with waters, conveying a sense of harmony and tranquility. This design was awarded Silver in A' Interior Space, Retail and Exhibition Design Award in 2019, a testament to its creative and professional excellence.