The Temple Hotel, Beijing, China
Thankfully, the bones of the mid-1700s temple, with its original timber rafters and decorative tiling, remained untouched. Over eight years, van Wassenhove and his partners worked with the Beijing Design Institute for the Protection of Cultural Relics to restore the quiet grace of the original architecture. The hotel opened this year to applause, with particular enthusiasm for the sensitive introduction of modern touches into the former monks’ quarters, including soothing lighting by Ingo Maurer, a skylight installation by James Turrell and a collection of Chinese contemporary art.
23 Shatan North Street, Dongcheng District, tel: 86. 10 8401 5680, www.thetemplehotel.com. Rates: from RMB2,000