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Architects: YUANGU Design
- Area: 280 m²
- Year: 2020
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Photographs:Shuang Zhao
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Manufacturers: DIAMAS Lighting, SIKI Lighting
Text description provided by the architects. The yard is a childhood memory, which is real and warm. I remembered I came to Beijing for searching a job ten years ago. In Beijing, the courtyard house (Siheyuan) in hutong can especially impress me. A greeting between the neighbors, ‘have you eaten?’, which makes you feel kind and warm, and the smell from food in the air will makes you familiar. Yes, this is the memory of childhood, a simple communication between people.
Houhai hotel is located at NO.10 Liuyin Street, about 200 metres away from Houhai. It is said that this was originally a three-entry courtyard, and it was divided into three different landlords for unknown reasons. We just rented one of them, the whole area is around 280 square meters. It still maintains a good layout of the courtyard—introverted space and the staggered eaves, which lets you immediately feel the charm of Beijing traditional culture.
The plan of the yard is formed into a U-shape, which encloses the surrounding wall. We plan to design four guest rooms and a dessert space. Although the function is not complicated, the limited area is a question. A small reception is necessary at the entrance. Next, it is guest room. We used the largest area (back room) as our suite. Considered the height of house, we used tatami and mattress directly landed on floor to increase the sense of relaxation. The other three rooms are lined up on the left side, facing the view of the courtyard. After construction and decoration, each room is filed with natural light through the floor-to-ceiling windows and dormant windows. Even lying on the bed, you could also feel the sunbathing.
These three rooms have three different layouts, which offers customers three different hotel experiences. Further inside is the hotel‘s functional space. The toilets and storage room are separated from the guest rooms. There are two VIP tea rooms, which is not only used as a dessert space, but also for small meetings, salons and exhibitions. The rest space is a shallow pond, a basement and a few ancient trees that make up the whole courtyard.
The basement area is quite small and we build up a small house for increasing the efficiency of courtyard. That space is quite important, which is not only meets the needs of dessert space, but also effectively combines the basement with VIP room. The dormant windows of the building light up dark basement and provides unlimited warmth. Several ancient trees are standing quietly in the middle of the yard, as whispering and greeting. The shallow pond is our intention. Water is the spirit of all things, and with water our yard will have spirituality.
In the process of our design, we always maintained a state of restraint and natural tendency. We hope to emphasis the simple beauty in life. Life is art and art is life. That is Yuangu hotel by your side.
