The central part of the Jingyang Camphor Court consists of a wooden cloister encircling the lush camphor trees, which establishes a unique atmosphere at the core of the complex. All new hotel programs such as verandas, guest rooms, conference spaces, and restaurants are arranged around and connected to this central cloister. site limitations, no other large public spaces other than the cloister could be created. The distances between the walls of the different volumes are very narrow, akin to the narrow width between the exterior walls of local vernacular buildings. By putting all buildings in close proximity to each other, an intimate, personal, and nostalgic atmosphere is created, with guests able to discover the different material tonalities arranged along a path, like wandering through a maze.

The hotel’s western area features a new courtyard-type building with the three buildings’ gable walls advancing and retreating to form small public plazas in front of them. From the exterior, these buildings’ subtle setback from the existing straight street draws the guests and public in. The entrance is located on the east of the site and has a deliberately low and unassuming profile, in accordance with the presence of trees and folded canopies. The subtle and human-oriented scale creates an intimate and welcoming atmosphere upon arrival. The hotel rooms are located in the old dormitory space, north of the central courtyard. Its walls were kept, while a new structure penetrates and juts out of the existing volume. Each hotel room has a balcony that faces the interior courtyard and the promenade spaces between the buildings.

The new restaurant is located in the former factory structure in the southern part of the site. The original side walls of this industrial relic were kept and thermal and sound insulation were added. Besides overall structural reinforcements, a new metal roof structure was added to increase the buildings’ safety. The ceiling height was also increased, and new skylights were introduced, creating a more pleasant and contemporary spatial atmosphere for guests while also paying homage to the site’s industrial past.

The bricks of the original structures had a red and orange hue. We wanted to honor this palette when opting for the tonality of the new buildings. Throughout the hotel, we used warm-colored concrete and a thin layer of tiles with a similar gradient. The external walls of the old and new volumes are a mix of kiln and old clay bricks and between the old and the new bricks, a warm-colored concrete is cast in place to create a harmonious transition between the preserved elements and those newly added. Their materiality, color, and texture are closely related to the history of porcelain production in Jingdezhen.

The Jingyang Camphor Court creates a new type of hotel experience with a publicly accessible courtyard that is as large as possible. Next to creating a tranquil and natural environment, the strategy of preservation, renovation, and revitalization of an existing warehouse was central for the arrangement and massing of new programs and creating a new and inviting atmosphere and future for this hotel.

Text provided by the architects.

The hot spring functional spaces are vertically layered in the tower on the west side, and the transportation and service program are set in the east core, connected by corridor-like bridge on each floor. The programs are vertically stacked up for reducing the building footprint and as well, creating a series of unique spatial experiences at different levels. As the visitors ascend, new relationships between the surrounding trees, rock cliff, and distant mountain landscape are respectively highlighted.

We allocated the main functions on three levels. An integrated teak box anchors the center space of the first floor to accommodate the reception, storage, locker room and showering functions before entering the bath. The second floor is a transparent relaxation lounge enclosed by floor-to-ceiling glass on all sides, located among the most-lush part of the poplar tree canopies. When the weather is favorable, the upper windows can be opened, introducing the fresh natural air, framing splendor natural scenery throughout the seasons.
The third-floor bath pools, at different temperatures and water treatments are distributed under eight light wells. When the skylight passes through the 8-meter-high wells, it becomes soft and quiet, diffused by the bush-hammered concrete. Through strip windows above the water surface on the west facade, people can choose to immerse themselves in the water or have a glimpse of the nearby valley cliffs with the flourishing treetop enveloping the building.

Text provided by the architect.

Through its hybrid status, Zayuan incubates a sense of belonging and neighborhood. In Courtyard Hybrid, while sense of privacy and domain can be achieved, most of the interfaces are designed with rotary operation in order to create more possibilities of space use. We aim to accommodate various functions such as exhibition, cultural event, academic seminar, office, café and living as well. By remaining the hybrid status of Zayuan, it attracts different kinds of users and stimulates even more potentials.

Limited to local laws and regulations, we overhaul the North House for it was a registered property. We restore the pitched roof by reassembling its structure to maintain the traditional state of courtyard house. We replace original low-quality additions by two spatial installations with less sense of volume. The overall layout defines one large courtyard and two small ones: relationship among multiple functions is then clarified. The prefabricated new material, laminated bamboo, together with the timber structure, minimizes the disturbance within the neighborhood during construction. Old and New are juxtaposed in terms of construction, structure, spatial experience, etc.

When the east and west entrances are both opened, a path connecting Qingta Hutong and Gongmenko Sitiao is revealed by itself. While Courtyard Hybrid is open at both sides, the big courtyard and café further form a public space for the whole community.

In different periods, Courtyard Hybrid can vary in terms of functions; it can be owned and managed by different people or groups. We hope Courtyard Hybrid gradually becomes a place providing public energy to the whole Baitasi area.

Text provided by the architect.

The galleries of the museum are arranged around a light well with 5.7 meters in diameter and 16.4 meters in height, which serves as the organizing “anchor” for all the spaces. The light well is both the starting point and the end point. People will start from passing through the bottom part of the light well, walk along the spiral staircase coiling up to the galleries while inadvertently looking back into the light well through the apertures at different levels, and eventually conclude the journey stepping down from the top gallery along the light well again back to the starting point. While inside the galleries, natural light is filtered and softened by the skylights, penetrating through a grid of 1.9 x 1.9 square meter waffle beam and filling the interior with a homogeneous and immersive light quality. Furthermore, the exterior staircase that connects the second through fourth floors, the protruding corner window on the fourth floor, and a southwest-facing vertical window on the same floor all provide museum visitors with glimpses of the contemporary cityscape of Taiyuan.

As we see it, Changjiang Art Museum is like a solid block of brick – occupying a specific space-time coordinate, bearing witness silently and attentively to the clamorous and ever-changing city around it.

Text provided by the architect.

The locations and forms of openings also get carefully reconsidered. The new concrete window frame sticks out from the outside wall, which prevents excessive rainwater from seeping into the window from the wall surface. The thickness is then designed into “window-furniture” system: window is no longer a simple opening, but serves as a medium space situating between nature and the interior space.

We choose vault to be the structural form of the third floor. It reduces the possibility of water leakage to an extreme for it barely allows any rainwater to stay. Vault is directional. It connects two sides of sea with dramatically different characters: one being the serene sea whereas the other one being the noisy port. This added floor serves as a multifunctional living space: it accommodates visiting family and friends and functions perfectly as a gym or an activity room as well. Additionally, since the captain’s family is Christian, this space is also intended to be a family chapel.

At dusk, the gentle light comes out from the translucent glass blocks. We hope the house gradually becomes the carrier of emotion for the captain’s family, and gives deserved dignity and decency to the daily life of ordinary people, which is particularly meaningful under the current circumstance of China.

Text provided by the architect.