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Architects: CT Design, Cooperation Team
- Area: 13000 m²
Text description provided by the architects. BACKGROUND
With advantage of location about distance from Beijing city by car in 1 hour and resource of hot spring, Bazhou has been planed and developed as hot spring town in Hebei Province of China. There are 6 pieces of land allotted to 6 investment groups in the new development area and the project is 1 of 6 hot spring resorts.
ISSUE & AGENDA
How to redefine quality for 5 star resort hotel which is not mainly by it's physical luxury but more about rich nature experience is the issue we have and how to create resort as one sustainable environment is our main concern. Therefore, environment goes first, then landscape experience, architectural form is just based on how to integrate it with surroundings.
SITE SITUATION
The site is flat which is about 18 hectares in rectangle shape (12 hectares for the first phase) and as normal northern landscape in China. Cold winter wind comes from northwest direction and cool summer wind comes from southeast direction. Moreover climate and landscape situation is very different at 4 reasons - spring is comfortable, summer is hot which will reach to 32 degree at highest, autumn is cool, and winter is cold about minus 10 degree at lowest. So how to use these varied experience for resort is the one of main points for design.
ABOUT PLANNING & LANDSCAPE
More Nature, More Sustainable
New topography created intends to respond to site's situation which is to have high hill at north side working as defence for cold winter wind and low hill at south side to guide cool summer wind into the site.
Topography also works as base to creates three landscape typologies which will create multiple landscape experience - the hilltop as grassland, the hillside as forest, and the low land as hot spring. Hotel and villas will be set at different position and zoning as groups with different landscape theme such as hot spring, forest, and lake.
As hot spring resort, water is the main subject and is used as main landscape element. From hot spring to SPA, from dam to waterfall, and from water courtyard to surrounding lake, we intend to create more chance for guest to experience hot spring in many different ways.
About water system, secondhand hot spring is collected and pumped into waterfall and water wall in courtyard. Water will flow from high level to low level, from inside to outside, from water courtyard to entrance pool and down to lake and river. Finally water will be pumped back to water courtyard at the end pool of river as one circulating system.
ABOUT ARCHITECTURE & SPACE
Architecture in Nature, Nature in Architecture
“Architecture in Nature, Nature in Architecture” is our basic concept for the hotel. In the way, we intend to create weak and humble architecture which is harmonious and consistent with surroundings.
We take linear form for building as the way to integrate it with surroundings in stead of creating one big solid object as normal business hotel on landscape. Linear form is as loop putting on topography which still will keep landscape inside and can give maximum proximity and access to the landscape. Moreover, it also works as corridor to guide guest experiencing environment and as the best circulation for flow of people as well. Based on arrangement of landscape, the hotel space is arranged in 3 loops following topography from level +0.2m up to level +1.1m.
3 LOOPS
Surrounded by water and looks like standing on it, our intention is to integrate inner space with surrounding big water. And due to temperature difference, hopefully hot spring could create kind atmosphere that hotel will look like as in mist in winter.
Surrounded by flower and encircling sakura courtyard, we intend to create kind atmosphere which is comfortable and refined in restaurant.
Due to it’s special character and ability to survive in winter, bamboo is chosen to create forest for guest room area which is not just only to provide privacy but also create kind feeling of meditation, especially for hot spring area in guest room towards bamboo courtyard.
EXPECTATION
We hope this resort could be as an environment which people can experience by not just only vision, but hearing, smell, and touch as well. It is just simply you can hear voice of water, birds, and wind going through bamboo, and can feel hot spring and smell flower as well.
