Yimeng Shanxiangju Resort

Yimeng Shanxiangju Resort 

Greyspace Architecture Design Studio

Yimeng Shanxiangju Resort
© Hao Chen

LANDSCAPE DESIGN 
Greyspace Architecture Design Studio

CONSTRUCTION
Linyi Qinyuan Construction And Installation Engineering Co.ltd

DESIGN TEAM
Yunsong Wu, Shijiao Ying, Xing Wu

CLIENT
Linyi Shanxiangju Cultural Tourism Development Co.ltd

CONSTRUCTION DRAWINGS
Shandong Construction Engineering Group Engineering Design Co.ltd

STRUCTURAL DESIGN
Haiqing Ma

ARCHITECT IN CHARGE
Peng Su

PHOTOGRAPHS
Hao Chen

AREA
2685 M²

YEAR
2019

LOCATION
Linyi, China

CATEGORY
Hotels

Yimeng Shanxiangju Resort
Far view of reception center and falling stone steps. Image © Hao Chen

Text description provided by architect.

Yimeng Shanxiangju resort is located in Cuijiayu, Yimeng Mountain Tourist Resort, Linyi City, Shandong Province, surrounded by typical mountainous geological feature.

The site is a slope from northeast to southwest, and the current road on the north is the only way to enter. How to deal with the relationship between the building group and the natural slope under the main road becomes particularly important here.

Yimeng Shanxiangju Resort
bird view of the whole building group. Image © Hao Chen
Yimeng Shanxiangju Resort
courtyard from the internal courtyard. Image © Hao Chen

The Architect hopes that the building volume will be perceived as small as possible to retain the physical experience brought by the initial state of the site.

At the same time of conforming to the slope, the design team controls the way and rhythm of moving through the subtle treatment of different heights, aiming at eliminating the invasion of the building volumes.

Yimeng Shanxiangju Resort
Comparison of stone and white paint in courtyard. Image © Hao Chen
Yimeng Shanxiangju Resort
reception center from the bottom level. Image © Hao Chen

The entrance reception hall is accessed by small upward stairs, and the roof level of the residential group below is lowered as much as possible. In the face of distant mountains, overlooking has become an excellent way for people to communicate with nature.

The reception hall of shanxiangju has become a lighthouse like spiritual fortress. The transition from the entrance space to the panoramic view of the natural mountain scenery forms the beginning of the whole spacial narrative.

Yimeng Shanxiangju Resort
The contrast between the heavy stone at the bottom and the aluminum plate at the top. Image © Hao Chen
Yimeng Shanxiangju Resort
reception center from living area. Image © Hao Chen

As the route falls down, the features of the site become clear.

The gray roof, the inclined streets and the looming mountains form a picturesque panorama.

Concerning the guest room parts, the adaptation to the site slope is strengthened and the perception of the building volume is weakened within the living units by setting two layers in the north and one layer in the south.

The reception hall still retains Chinese traditional sloping roof, while the far-reaching cornice on the top floor and the wrapped transparent glass curtain wall make it different from other living units.

Yimeng Shanxiangju Resort
reception center from living area. Image © Hao Chen
Yimeng Shanxiangju Resort
reception center side stairs. Image © Hao Chen

In order to achieve the 4m overhang of the entrance layer, we have adopted the concrete core tube supporting steel structure form, so as to open a complete and continuous transparent glass corner, responding to the excellent landscape on the southeast side.

The residential units adopt the mode of inner enclosed courtyard, responding to the spatial issues of vernacular implantation. The stone walls enclose the street space outwards, leaving only one entrance, and form the courtyard landscape inwards.

Different from the composition of local courtyard, the abstraction of garden is carried out here, resulting in a modern landscape product of ‘courtyard within courtyard’ and ‘overlapped various layers’.

Yimeng Shanxiangju Resort
courtyard landscape of living unit. Image © Hao Chen
Yimeng Shanxiangju Resort
courtyard landscape of living unit. Image © Hao Chen

The entrance of each residential unit faces a central courtyard landscape formed by staggered slate, pebble and vegetation, while each has its own independent internal courtyard to adapt to different residents’ experiences.

Units’ landscapes are also echoed by stone steps connecting different heights thanks to the slope.

Yimeng Shanxiangju Resort
internal courtyard of a living unit. Image © Hao Chen
Yimeng Shanxiangju Resort
height variation of living units. Image © Hao Chen

The characteristics of the resort correspond to the outward expression of materials. The top floor of the reception hall adopts the modern brown red aluminum plate, which represents the special role itself of the whole village.

The middle floor at the bottom is made of recycled local stones to integrate with surrounding mountains and structures.

Yimeng Shanxiangju Resort
entrance upwards stairs. Image © Hao Chen
Yimeng Shanxiangju Resort
internal courtyard of a living unit. Image © Hao Chen

The exterior wall of the residential group adopts a new mosaic of bluestones, forming a continuous spacial interface with the green bricks of the street.

The interior of each room uses white paint as the material expression of modern living space, leaving a strong contrast with the external traditional stone facade.

Yimeng Shanxiangju Resort
Viewing platform on the third floor of reception center. Image © Hao Chen
Yimeng Shanxiangju Resort
The top floor of reception center looking to the east. Image © Hao Chen

In the whole design process of the project, the relationship between human and nature has been refined many times, and the sense of form itself is no longer the most important content of the architecture noumenon.

The environment atmosphere constructed by architecture and the site, and the first physical perception facing the nature have become our thinking point from the beginning. What kind of state people should be in such a unique environment?

Yimeng Shanxiangju Resort
Overlooking space under eaves of reception center. Image © Hao Chen
Yimeng Shanxiangju Resort
night view. Image © Hao Chen

Free or limited? Be still or constantly moving forward? This project gives one of many answers through the slope adaption, scale, formation mode, and material.

Yimeng Shanxiangju Resort
night view of the reception center. Image © Hao Chen


Yimeng Shanxiangju Resort
master plan
Yimeng Shanxiangju Resort
living units GF plan


Yimeng Shanxiangju Resort
reception center 1F plan
Yimeng Shanxiangju Resort
reception center 2F plan
Yimeng Shanxiangju Resort
reception center RF plan
Yimeng Shanxiangju Resort
reception center 3F plan


Yimeng Shanxiangju Resort
site section
Yimeng Shanxiangju Resort
section of living units


Yimeng Shanxiangju Resort
site axonometric
Yimeng Shanxiangju Resort
reception center perspective section