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Architects: PleasantHouse Design
- Year: 2018
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Photographs:En Xiao
Text description provided by the architects. Nanxianglou, one of the most expecting scenic spots in the historic Gankeng Village, Shenzhen of Guangdong Province, has gained lots of reputation abroad. From the time-honored study of literature and art to today’s history-thickened hotels, visitors can have a glance of the old architecture that celebrates the culture of Southern Fujian and the Hakkas. The architecture at the heritage area features a large scale of the solid wood structure, complemented by the deep-seated culture connotation.
There is a saying in Hakkas, “Immigration makes us alive, and we are not afraid of a long journey with longevity in life.” After going through instability in turbulent days, tramping over hills and dales, and wandering on tempest-tost, the ancestors arrived at the wonderland where they can inhabit and flourish finally. The Hakkas resided with the indigenous people in the past hundreds of years, and they infused their lifestyle and traditions into the land.
As a necessary part of the developing complex at the site, Nanxianglou Art Hotel has taken over essential factors from the Hakkas’ architectural culture. Grey tile walls, thick wood doors and beams, carven sculptures along the eaves…those components from disassembled buildings in Southern Fujian got marked in number, and were transformed to the place and assembled following the same.
The pyramid-inspired steel-framed glass roofing was carved into the angular structure, which contrasts with the old buildings. By generalizing this technique, the glass house protrudes into the complex while widening the views above the guestrooms on the second floor.
“The adventure includes drainage of rainwater and elimination of tiresome sound caused by the raindrops dropping on the surface of the glass house,” the architect described when conceptualizing the design. Each glass pane was handled specially to tackle these two disturbing issues while keeping the interior receive sufficient sunlight for human activities.
The smaller size glass house on the second floor plays a role as an extension of the exhibition from the interior space. Complemented by the lighting effect at night, the glass house responses to the main one.
This hotel contains 52 guestrooms with three different types of residences. Due to the restriction of the existing walls in terms of dimension and flexibility, the partitions were pushed over on the second and third floors and redesigned to meet the least requirement of the width of the corridors at 1.6m. On the contrary, the guestrooms were ornamented stylishly. To reduce oppressing sensation caused by the enclosed space, the partition of the bathrooms was replaced by glass walls.
The multi-functional conference hall and restaurants were planned at the back of the layout. To infuse the landscape with the interior, all windows were changed to the floor-to-ceiling revolving curtains. The following consequence is a flexible space used for various occasions.
