With its historic pagodas and peaceful Shangri-la, West Lake, in China’s Hangzhou, has always been the city’s main draw. Lately, though, the Xixi Wetland area has attracted development: first the National Wetland Museum by Beijing-based Studio Pei-Zhu and now the Blossom Hill resort. Marcelo Joulia of international practice Naço, designed the collection of low-slung villas with extraordinary compassion for the region’s lush landscape. He coupled bamboo and antique brick with local woods and contemporary concrete to create an air of serene simplicity. To the rooms, each facing the misty marshes, he brought long, lean furnishings, cavernous tubs and soft lighting. Equally peaceful is the pool, obscured by reeds, and the sunken library, surrounded by louvered bamboo shutters.
Information
Address
Longshezui
Xixi Wetland
Wuchang Avenue
Hangzhou
Zhejiang
China
-
A postmodernist home reborn: we tour the British embassy in BrazilWe tour the British Embassy in Brazil after its thorough renovation by Hersen Mendes Arquitetura, which breathes new life into a postmodernist structure within the country's famous modernist capital
-
Bvlgari's celebration of the Serpenti snakes its way from Tokyo to Shanghai, Seoul and MumbaiRoman high jeweller Bvlgari marks the Year of the Snake with the sensual Serpenti Infinito exhibition
-
Fancy transforming your ageing Casio into a smartwatch? Ollee has the answerThe Ollee Watch transforms Casio's cult digital watch into a retro-tinged smart device
-
A discreet bolthole adds historic charm to Chongqing’s skyscraper jumbleWith a landscape bristling with gleaming towers, Sunyata Ren’ai Hall Hotel quietly emerges as the Chinese city’s most design-forward stay
-
Discover a futuristic bar in Shanghai with mad-scientist energyPenicillin opens in Shanghai with a clinical steel and concrete design by LC Studio alongside trailblazing, sustainable cocktails
-
A colossal ‘ship’ in Shanghai honours Louis Vuitton’s travel legacyLouis Vuitton’s The Louis is an OMA-designed hub combining retail, culture and dining in the heart of Nanjing West Road
-
Tour the best contemporary tea houses around the worldCelebrate the world’s most unique tea houses, from Melbourne to Stockholm, with a new book by Wallpaper’s Léa Teuscher
-
Prada and Wong Kar-wai dream up a cinematic restaurant in ShanghaiPrada partners with Wong Kar-wai to bring Mi Shang Rong Zhai to life, a dining experience influenced by the arthouse director’s seminal oeuvre
-
Enjoy heritage views and contemporary brews at a new Beijing caféJM Café, White Pagoda Temple by B.L.U.E. Architecture Studio nods to the history of the Xicheng District while injecting a shot of vitality
-
Must-visit cinemas with award-worthy designThere’s more magic to the movies at these design-led cinemas, from Busan Cinema Centre’s ‘flying’ roof to The Gem Cinema Jaipur’s art deco allure
-
China’s Alila Shanghai hotel is a stylish hub of idle tranquillityAlila Shanghai, the brand's first urban resort in Greater China, is a serene bolthole amidst the pulse of the Jing'an district
