China. A hotel in a post-industrial garden

Designed by Vector Architects, the Alila Yangshuo project is located near the Li River in Yangshuo, China. An old sugar mill built in 1960s is beautifully preserved, featuring an industrial truss used for sugar cane transport. The industrial heritage represents the spirit of an older generation. In order to create a sense of consistency, instead of simply copying the old materiality and texture, architects tried to seek this nuance using more contemporary materials and construction methods, while remaining the tinge and masonry structure of the Old. Hollow concrete block and wood-formed cast-in-place concrete serve to make the new volume more visually light and transparent, without disturbing the existing order, and enhance natural lighting and ventilation at the same time.

Vector Architects keeps the profile of the new building as simple as possible to avoid unnecessary distraction to the old sugar mill caused by overly expressive geometry. We view our site as a garden for guests to wander and ponder: old sugar mill, industrial truss, new volumes, reflecting pond and path define spaces of different kinds. Two circulation systems pass up and through the suite building: one being completely functional corridor system while the other serving as a free public walkway, connecting three important cave-like node spaces. The public walkway is the extension of the promenade experience on the ground level.