Yangshuo Sugar House, Guangxi Hotel Renovation Project, New Chinese Architecture Images

Yangshuo Sugar House in Guangxi

22 Jan 2021

Yangshuo Sugar House

Architects: Vector Architects

Location: Yangshuo, Guilin, Guangxi, China

photo © Chen Hao

Alila Yangshuo is located in a col near Li River in Yangshuo, Guangxi. Surrounded by picturesque natural landscape, the site locates in one of the most typical karst regions.

photo © Su Shengliang

An old sugar mill built in 1960s is beautifully preserved, with an industrial truss used for sugar cane transport. We envision industrial heritage as the representation of spirit of older generation. This became the premise of this project. Our main design strategies include the following.

photos © Chen Hao

Old and New
Flanked with newly-added suite building and villa, the old sugar mill and industrial truss occupy the central part of the hotel complex. The sunken plaza and reflecting pond further accentuate the spiritual symbolism and significance of the old structure.

photos © Chen Hao

In order to create a sense of consistency, instead of simply copying the old materiality and texture, we try to seek this nuance where we use more contemporary materials and construction methods while remaining the tinge and masonry structure of the Old.

photo © Su Shengliang

Hollow concrete block and wood-formed cast-in-place concrete serve to make the new volume more light and transparent visually without disturbing the existing order, and enhance natural lighting and ventilation at the same time.

photos © Su Shengliang

We keep the profile of new building as simple as possible to avoid unnecessary distraction to the old sugar mill caused by overly expressive geometry. Roof slope is consistent with the original one: after the completion of the hotel complex, its profile becomes a cluster of pitched roofs. We hope the New is progressively evolved and conveys a sophisticated consistency with the Old.

photos © Chen Hao

Promenade Experience
We view our site as a garden for guests to wander and ponder: old sugar mill, industrial truss, new volumes, reflecting pond and path define spaces of different kinds. Two circulation systems pass up and through the suite building: one being completely functional corridor system while the other serving as a free public walkway, connecting three important cave-like node spaces.

photos © Chen Hao

The public walkway is the extension of the promenade experience on the ground level. Wandering around the resort hotel, guests experience the alternation of light and dark, change of framed landscape view, distance and elevation.

photos © Su Shengliang

Man-made and Natural
The site is surrounded by karst peaks, facing Li River to the south and a busy driveway to the north. Horizontality of architecture and verticality of karst mountain shows interaction between the man-made and the natural.

photos © Su Shengliang

Besides, the public walkway is artificialized and geometric version of pathway and cave carved into the karst mountain since ancient times. The ‘caves’ are carefully located so that they visually connect architectural space with natural mountain scape.

photo © Chen Hao

Yangshuo Sugar House in the Guangxi Province – Building Information

Location: Yangshuo, Guilin, Guangxi, China
Principal Architect: Gong Dong / Vector Architects
Interior Architect: Bin Ju / Horizontal Space Design
Architecture Design Team: Bin He, Nan Wang, Chen Liu, Fangzhou Zhu, Jian Wang, Mengyao Xu, Xiangdong Kong, Yue Han, Zhiyong Liu, Bai Li, Peng Zhang, Xiaokai Ma, Liangliang Zhao
Interior Design Team: Jinjing Wei, Yaocheng Wei, Hongming Nie, Luokai Zhang, Fanyu Luo, Wenjun Zhou
Site Architect: Liangliang Zhao, Peng Zhang / Vector Architects; Yingfa Li, Xipu Li / Horizonal Space Design
Mechanical and Electrical Consultant: Sen Lin, Haijia Li, Fuliang Wei, Jiaorong He, Yu Gao / Shenzhen JS M&E Engineering Design Co.,Ltd.
Lighting Consultant: Albert Martin Klaasen / Klaasen Lighting Design

photo © Chen Hao

LDI: Guilin Institute of Architectural Design Co.,Ltd.
LDI Project Architect: Jianmin Qin
LDI Architects: Mu Yang, Yuanxin Lu
Structural Engineer: Wenfu Zheng, Bo Li, Xianzhong Zhou
MEP Engineer: Dengsheng Lin, Xiaoyan Lu, Jing Deng
Landscape Designer: Qianbai Yu, Yingying Xiao
Client: Landmark Tourism Investment Company
Hotel Management: Alila Hotels and Resorts

photo © Chen Hao

Structure: Frame-Shear Wall Structure
Material: Wood Formwork Concrete, Concrete Block, Local Masonry, Bamboo, Stucco, Terrazzo, Pebbledash
Building Area: 16,00 sqm
Design Period: 08/2013 – 10/2014
Construction Period: 10/2014 – 06/2017

photo © Chen Hao

Photographs: Chen Hao, Su Shengliang

Vector Architects

Yangshuo Sugar House, Guangxi images / information received 220121

Location: Yangshuo, Guilin, Guangxi, China

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