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Sanya Wellness Retreat, a restor that embodys the genius loci of Hainan

Neri&Hu Design and Research Office

Hospitality  /  Completed
Neri&Hu Design and Research Office

Neri&Hu's design is inspired by the ancient Chinese walled city, elevated on a heavy plinth, it is usually surrounded by water for protection. As such the hotel is defined by two parts, the wooden dwelling comprising guest rooms perches atop a masonry base that contains all the public spaces below. At every given opportunity, the design tries to embody the genius loci of Hainan, to blend elements from the island's collective memory, culture and natural features.

The Sanya Wellness Retreat is located in Haitang bay on Hainan Island, a popular resort destination in China. Facing the ocean, two L-shaped intersecting building volumes come together to form a water courtyard, the central feature from which all the hotel’s public amenities spread and emanate outwards. The design tries to embody the genius loci of Hainan, to blend elements from the island's collective memory, culture and natural features.

At every given opportunity, the design tries to embody the genius loci of Hainan, to blend elements from the island’s collective memory, culture and natural features. Tapping into local craftsmanship, the masonry walls which envelop the lower levels are clad with handmade clay bricks, while the fabrics and rugs are inspired by textile arts of the Li minority tribe. The technique of soaking and pressing bamboo is also employed as a building material, with woven rattan and yellow bronze accents to enhance the layers to the project.

Two L-shaped building volumes come together to form a water courtyard, the central feature from which all the hotel’s public amenities spread and emanate outwards. The lobby becomes a garden landscape with a floating lantern hovering above that allows a gentle light to filter in, and with the soft breeze that flows through, guests are immediately transported to a relaxed state of mind for appreciating the slow pace of island life. At the same time, the ceilings here are lowered and suppressed in order to simultaneously frame views outward to the azure seas beyond. For the guest rooms, each unit is conceived as an individual wooden hut that contains functional amenities such as the washrooms. In the negative space between the wooden boxes lies the sleeping and relaxing zones, including the ocean view balconies. The alternating rhythm between solid and void, the angled walls and textured material expression, all contribute to a dynamic façade that is constantly playing with light and shadow. The corridor between the bedroom units becomes an urban streetscape, an alley where people can traverse and enjoy chance encounters, as such are the delights of being a traveler.

The Sanya Wellness Retreat is located in Haitang bay on Hainan Island, a popular resort destination in China. Facing the ocean, two L-shaped intersecting building volumes come together to form a water courtyard, the central feature from which all the hotel’s public amenities spread and emanate outwards. The design tries to embody the genius loci of Hainan, to blend elements from the island's collective memory, culture and natural features.  

Credits

 Hainan
 Cina
 Confidential
 06/2022
 83000 m2
 Confidential
 Neri&Hu Design and Research Office
 Partners-in-charge: Lyndon Neri, Rossana Hu; Associate Director in-charge (Architecture): Ziyi Cao; Associate (Architecture project manager): Fong Win Huang; Associate-in-charge (Interior): Sanif Xu; Design Team: Federico Saralvo, Chris Chen, Chaofu Yeh, Danyan Jin, Rashi Jain, Lina Lee, Fergus Davis, Sela Lim, Jinlong Li, Shiqi Zhang, Dakyung Hwang, Valentina Brunetti, Kim-Lou Monnier, Heather Zhang, Guanlin Lee, Vanessa Wu, Lisa Kong, Cheri Lee, Ashley Kehan Shen, Mengyang Wang, Nianshan Zhang, Gloria Guo, Kevin Gao, Callum Holgate, Haiming Wang, Jean Jiao, Ji Chao, Jerry Kuo, Echo Li, Yoki Yu, Amber Shi, Zhikang Wang, Matthew Sung, Nicolas Fardet, Junho Jeon, Sheng Yin, Haiou Xin, July Huang, Lyuqitiao Wang
 General Contractor (construction): China Construction Eighth Engineering Division Corp., LTD General Contractor (interior): Shenzhen Cheng Chung Design Co., LTD. (public area), Shenzhen
 Local Design Institute (architecture): Beijing Institute of Architectural Design Co., LTD Local Design Institute (interior): Beijing Libeiya Architectural Decoration Engineering Co., LTD Façade: Schmidlin Shanghai Co., LTD Lighting: J+B Studios Architectural Lighting Design (Beijing) Co., LTD Landscape: L&A Design (concept design), Arktree Landscape Design Co., LTD. (design development) Signage: Corlette Design (Shanghai) Co., LTD
 Chen Hao

Curriculum

Founded in 2004 by partners Lyndon Neri and Rossana Hu, Neri&Hu Design and Research Office is an inter-disciplinary architectural design practice based in Shanghai. The practice’s burgeoning global portfolio includes commissions ranging from master planning and architecture, to interior design, installation, furniture, product, branding and graphic works. Currently working on projects in many countries, Neri&Hu is composed of multi-cultural staff who speak over 30 different languages. The diversity of the team reinforces a core vision for the practice: to respond to a global worldview incorporating overlapping design disciplines for a new paradigm in architecture.

Neri&Hu’s location is purposeful. With Shanghai considered a new global frontier, Neri&Hu is in the immediate center of this contemporary chaos. The city’s cultural, urban, and historic contexts function as a point of departure for design inquiries that span across a wide spectrum of scales.


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