Xi ‘a City, China
Honoring the story of the Silk Road, Guangzhou-based firm IAPA designs the Taibai Wushanju hotel, a complex that consists of resort hotels, open spaces for leisure and cultural exhibitions.
The hotel is close to the ancient city of Xi’an and is located at the foot of Taibai Mountain, which is the main peak of the Qinling.
This project has been awarded a 2021 International Architecture Award from The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.
This complex stretches 73 meters from east to west and 120 meters from north to south. It is a symbolic building that spans over a historical river, evoking the urban planning ideals of the Lifang system from the Tang and Song dynasties.
Each individual building was inspired by these ideas, then re-interpreted and refined by design.
The site area is just under 10,000 sqm, the total building is 14,500 sqm, which includes a boutique hotel (6,300 sqm), a living hall (4,500 sqm), and an art exhibition hall (2,000 sqm). There is a Chinese saying, “Reach for the moon, advance as if there is no mountain.”
Inspired by this saying, Wushanju is a project with architectural ideas. The ideal is to create a sentimental design work that integrates aesthetics, poetry, humanities, and life philosophy.
This ideal is to find a peaceful place under the foot of Taibai Mountain, to return to a peaceful lifestyle, to balance art and life in an oriental fashion, and find a way to co-exist with more and less, light and heavy, black and white.
The “Wu” in “Wushanju” represents the concise, natural, simple, and minimalist aspects of oriental art, which is also a natural aspect of Taibai Mountain.
The design creates a Taibai Court, where one can ascend to the rooftop, look upon the mountains, meditate, or enjoy the serenity and space that nature has to offer.
The circular white wall and a pond create scenery that resembles a modern ink landscape painting on an exaggerated scale, evoking a sense of Zen and serenity.
The design adheres to the traditional Chinese urban layout of “li, square, alley, city,” combined with a vertical stacking technique.
These techniques stack and integrate the 57 boutique hotel rooms, book bars, tea rooms, art center, and infinity swimming pools into sections of the courtyard.
Using a primary checkerboard-like grid, the architects redefine the relationship between vertical and horizontal.
The design reflects the continuity of the traditional urban planning idea with modern architectural design language.
The story is not about a simple building, but a story about the interaction between the building, the people, the natural elements, the light, the shadow, and reflection.
The design introduced a 36 diameter circular Taibai Court, which acts as the main body that connects the building, corridor, and courtyard.
The framed open space of the Taibai Court provides a perfect place for scenic lookouts to enjoy the mountain view and serenity from a distance.
The material choice of color, texture, and patterns gives the building a strong sense of modernity and novelty, and a unique historical charm.
A series of rhythmic windows confine the light and shadow within the building.
In conjunction with the light and shadow created by the lattice brick hollow wall, the sunlight and shadows of the trees linger gracefully on the surface of the walls, appearing inside and outside the building, enriching the depth of space.
All of this creates a space filled with tranquillity and Zen.
The operation of Wushanju Hotel is a manifestation of the resort lifestyle, it also has been the design philosophy throughout the design process.
The architects seek to provide a space and facilities that can accommodate all types of activities that the Taibai Mountain has to offer.
Whether it is a comfortable yet stylish holiday experience, an adventurous mountain getaway, or a dive into the local culture, Wushanju has been transformed into a stylish art-based resort that opens to the public.
Project: ZOINA·Taibai Wushanju
Architects: IAPA Pty. Ltd.
Client: Zoina Land
General Contractor: Yin Guang Sha Group
Photographers: Xiao Tan and Xiaobin Lv
