Wuzhen Vessel Hotel Façade Design

Wuzhen Vessel Hotel Façade Design
© Runzi Zhu
Wuzhen Vessel Hotel Façade Design
© Runzi Zhu

Wuzhen Vessel Hotel Façade Design 

workshopXZ

ARCHITECTS
Workshopxz

CLIENTS
Wuzhen Tourism Co., Ltd

LIGHTING DESIGN
Shanghai Bingsi Lighting Design Firm

DESIGN TEAM
Zijie Cao, Xin Wu, Siming Ke, Rensu Dong

FACADE DESIGN INSTITUTE
The Architectural Design & Research Institute Of Zhejiang University Co., Ltd. (Uad)

LEAD ARCHITECTS
Zijie Cao

PHOTOGRAPHS
Runzi Zhu

AREA
84124 M²

YEAR
2023

LOCATION
Jiaxing, China

CATEGORY
Hotels

Text description provided by architect.

The Wuzhen Vessel Hotel stands adjacent to the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, nestled in the northwest corner of the Wuzhen Scenic Area, renowned as one of China's last waterside dwellings.

Wuzhen Vessel Hotel Façade Design
© Runzi Zhu
Wuzhen Vessel Hotel Façade Design
© Runzi Zhu

Boasting 493 rooms along with diverse dining options and fitness facilities, it is the largest hotel in the area. Embodying the concept of a Chinese barque moored in a harbor, the hotel's design intricately weaves traditional Chinese motifs with modern materials and technologies.

The facade design artfully captures traditional Chinese scenes using contemporary elements. Parametric bamboo-finished aluminum shading louvers wind across the podium's facade, evoking the imagery of rippling waves caressing the hull.

Wuzhen Vessel Hotel Façade Design
© Runzi Zhu
Wuzhen Vessel Hotel Façade Design
© Runzi Zhu

Meanwhile, parametric grey louvers adorning the tower facade emulate the ascent of billowing sails. These features not only play with light and shadow through variations in color and depth but also create a dynamic visual effect.

A standout feature is the outdoor infinity pool, cantilevered from the "deck," offering guests the sensation of swimming amidst the clouds above the canal and town, blurring the boundaries between water and sky.

Wuzhen Vessel Hotel Façade Design
© Runzi Zhu
Wuzhen Vessel Hotel Façade Design
© Runzi Zhu

As dusk descends, the panoramic lighting scheme paints a poetic tableau reminiscent of fishing fires and lone sails casting their shadows.

The curtain walls of this project exhibit diversity and complexity. Leveraging parameterized design techniques and innovative fabrication and installation details, both the podium and towers manifest the original design vision.

Wuzhen Vessel Hotel Façade Design
© Runzi Zhu
Wuzhen Vessel Hotel Façade Design
© Runzi Zhu

The tower's typical facade comprises a dual-unit curtain wall system—combining inner glass panels with outer honeycomb-structured aluminum plate shading louvers—enhancing both construction efficiency and production accuracy.

Additionally, various other curtain wall forms, such as frit pattern glass curtain walls, honeycomb-structured stone curtain walls, aluminum board curtain walls, zinc roofs, and a variety of canopies, contribute to the architectural richness of the hotel.

Wuzhen Vessel Hotel Façade Design
© Runzi Zhu


Wuzhen Vessel Hotel Façade Design
© Runzi Zhu
Wuzhen Vessel Hotel Façade Design
© Runzi Zhu
Wuzhen Vessel Hotel Façade Design
© Runzi Zhu
Wuzhen Vessel Hotel Façade Design
© Runzi Zhu


Wuzhen Vessel Hotel Façade Design
© Runzi Zhu
Wuzhen Vessel Hotel Façade Design
© Runzi Zhu
Wuzhen Vessel Hotel Façade Design
© Runzi Zhu


Wuzhen Vessel Hotel Façade Design
Burj Al Arab Podium Curtain Wall Sample Section
Wuzhen Vessel Hotel Façade Design
Burj Al Arab Tower Curtain Wall Sample Section


Wuzhen Vessel Hotel Façade Design
Parametric diagram 01
Wuzhen Vessel Hotel Façade Design
Parametric diagram 02