MAD Architects has just delivered the Sheraton “Huzhhou Hot Spring Spring” Hotel. Located on the shores of Lake Tai in China, this unusual structure is 100 meters high and 116 meters wide, covering an area of 75 acres. The 321 rooms include 40 suites, 37 villas, and presidential suites, each with a view of the fabled Lake Tai, China’s third largest freshwater body. “Fundamental to the logic of the unique shape of this impressive yet bold design is the idea that the building is comprised of hotel rooms that demand ample natural light and cross ventilation,” says founding principal Ma Yansong and his team.
Courtesy of MAD – Photography by: McLennan
The hotel represents a trend for investors to shift focus to less developed, tier two cities. Sheraton, the largest brand under the Starwood Hotels & Resorts banner, is also a China market pioneer. Thirty years ago, the Great Wall Sheraton Hotel Beijing became the first five-star international hotel in mainland China. Ten years ago, the hotelier helped put Sanya on the tourism map with the Sheraton Sanya. Sheraton Huzhou Hot Spring Resort aims to be fully operational by fall of this year.
Courtesy of MAD – Photography by: Xia Zhi
The hotel could be best described as horseshoe shaped, or maybe as a partially submerged confidant serif-faced ‘O’, or even presumably a dipped elongated donut, though no matter how we report it, a newly non-stop Sheraton Hushou Hot Spring Resort is not your normal looking hotel. The form is a ideal essence of water, giving each room a perspective of a lake, healthy light, and movement no matter where it is located. An LED light complement on a extraneous skin of a erect brings a steel structure to life during night, displaying colorfully characterized textures and patterns, reflected on a water’s surface.
Courtesy of MAD – Photography by: Xia Zhi
Credits and Info:
Architect: MAD Architect Co., Ltd.,
Associate Engineers: Shanghai SianDai Architecture Design (Group) Co., Ltd.,
Structural Engineer: China Majesty Steel Structural Design Co., Ltd.,
Façade/Cladding Consultants: Zhejiang Zhongnan Curtain Wall Co., Ltd., Shanghai Timalco Curtain Wall Engineering Co., Ltd.,
Landscape Architect: EDSA – Landscape Design
