Text description provided by the architects. MONOARCHI has completed four hot spring huts in the southeast corner of Tangshan Mountain in Nanjing. The 5,000sqm site is on a hill and has one side of stacked rocks, standing out as a solitary island from the woods. According to the geomorphic features of the site, the architect chose the four most distinctive locations to place the four huts, from hiding in the deep woods, to gradually transitioning into the stone-piled land.
The architect kept the original landform and existing vegetation and considered the interaction between the building and the surrounding environment. Upon the different locations of the cabins and the awe of nature, the architect created two completely different interesting forms. Passing through the loose bushes, the plank path of the site bypasses the jungle and the rocks, sometimes it encounters isolated trees and strange rocks, and surpasses them by simply opening holes. The winding path connects the four independent huts like the vein of a leaf.
One form of the huts is inspired by the circling vines in the forests. The spaces inside the hut – the living room, the bedroom and the bathroom are defined by the emptiness offered by nature. The covered bridge, formed by slides and steps crosses the narrow gap between the trees, either gentle or steep, winding the three main rooms into a complete building.
The huge glass windows in each room break through the shackles of the facade, facing different angles and heights, revealing the different characters of the indoor spaces when in contact with nature: you can look at the scenery of distant mountains, or admire the wild plants around the building, you can also walk to the terrace and touch the new leaves from the trees. The curly shape enclosed an irregular patio, and a 5sqm hot spring pool is opened next to the preserved trees, a place to experience the landscape and warmth created by nature. The facade facing the patio is completely transparent, people can enjoy the beautiful view from the pool.
The other two huts are entangled with the rocks. The flat-lying stones are used as the foundation of the hut; while the sharp cliffs tear apart the direct connection between the functional spaces, digesting the silhouette of the hut into the nature-like branches. The scale of each branch of the building is defined by functions, the bedroom, and the living room face nature, while the restroom is visually blocked from the outside.
The two huts are designed in different forms due to different contexts: one is hidden between the rocks and the woods, its windows are opened for closer views; the other one is exposed above the rocks, leaning against a tree and huge rock cliffs. Therefore the architect opened a skylight for the user to look up into the starry sky in the night. The living room and the surrounding space enclosed by the rocks are paved with off-white terrazzo. When the pool is filled with spring, you can experience the joy of the rough texture of nature and the delicateness of man-made materials.
The indoor space is the inward extension of the exterior. The rounded chamfer and the same oak blurred the boundary between the ground, the wall, and the roof. The main furniture continues the free curves and plays an important part in the interior.
The four huts share similar forms but express different attitudes toward nature with different materials: the two huts in the woods use charcoal wood like the skin, hiding from the lush greenery; the other two are exposed on the rocks and the edge of the woods, warping themselves with original woods and stitching themselves into the natural environment.
