The chinese zen and tea culture: Moma Lotus Resort

MOMA Lotus Resort integrates the Chinese Zen and tea culture, and incorporates the natural landscape and cultural elements into architectural design.

Architects placed a resort on the water within the Jiuhua Mountain, china, as if to integrate the scenery of the four seasons into the architecture. The building humbly peer out of the landscape, and then become perfected by time. The appearance of villages and Buddha statues is the result of human activities in nature throughout different periods, and eventually become integrated with nature.

The resort visitors will catch a mountain view, with rooms arranged to the south and east, where the Buddha can be worshipped. The building integrates the Chinese Zen and tea culture, gives space creation with enough scale in height and breadth, and incorporates the natural landscape and cultural elements into architectural design. It is left to different users to experience the relaxation of life state or the sublimation of Zen philosophy, and this is also the meaning of the town.

With characteristic features, the resort complements yet stands out from its surroundings. The roof of the building is an upward sloping roof with the highest point defined in the southeast corner of the site, which also solves the function setting of local two floors. Under the roof, the function is completely divided and separated, and the courtyard is embedded to blur the boundary between inside and outside.

Water elements are designed both inside and outside the courtyard, so that with reflections in the water, people can experience the Zen garden and enjoy different scenery and climate of the mountains from its interior. The building is decorated in two colors, with a grey exterior wall and wooden interiors. Tapestry bricks are collaged in the form of hollow brick walls, covered with small grey-green roof tiles, so as to present a humble and calm atmosphere against the background of the countryside.

Materials of the inner courtyard adopt a large number of wooden-colored aluminum plates and glass, which warm up under the sunshine. The interior and exterior materials are transitioning under the cornice, the wooden color of the suspended ceiling extends outside, reflecting in the water, and grey bricks are used around the corridor and courtyard. The patio adopts imported merbau logs to create the traditional scene of ‘rain flowing into the patio from all sides’, in the style of Anhui folk houses. The construction process becomes a dialogue between ancient and modern times.

Resort’s guests can enjoy an extensive mountain view, with rooms arranged to the south and east, where the Buddha can be worshipped. The building’s function and character becomes stronger when placed in its context and when being utilized by the guests. It is left to different users to experience the relaxation of life state or the sublimation of Zen philosophy.