Hangzhou’s new landmark complex, Guanyun Qiantang, which is located in Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center on the south bank of the Qiantang River, forms a new skyline of the city together with the Lotus Bowl and Hangzhou Arch. The GuiYuShanFang Landscape Project is located in one of the two podiums, with the site located on 3F. The outdoor patio of the restaurant opens outward to form an elegant arc, providing a multi-layered view of the city through the continuous interior windows.
The outdoor landscape can be seen step by step according to the layout of the restaurant from the entrance to the lobby, and from the casual guests’ rooms to the private rooms. The landscape gradually unfolds with the flow of people, from the steepness of the north, the gentleness of the south to the abstract natural landscape of Hangzhou. The entire exterior of the restaurant is surrounded by figurative cliffs and abstract tea fields. The courtyard wishes to discuss the coexistence of elements within the overall form by creating a variety of continuous atmospheres, exploring the modern urban landscape courtyard through different depictions of nature, artificiality, sculpture, and abstraction in different forms. We also create a scene that plants squeeze out of the stones on both sides in the long and narrow space where they grow freely and peacefully. The stones and grassy slopes form a hierarchical view.
According to the needs of the entrance space, the indoor foyer uses Shanxi black paving to guide the guests, and magnificent rockeries and springs can be seen when they turn a corner. Outside the large-scaled glasses, the site is narrower and short, and the stones are placed slightly to the side, making them slightly away from the glasses visually. And the complete space is opened to the maximum extent where the atmosphere is stretched. The springs between the peaks of the stone, flow along the stone surface, and hide water in an endless distance. As a counterpoint to the casual zone, it echoes the unknown giant on the other side of the space.
Outside the private room is a curved spatial site with different constraints. The framed view from the interior to the exterior is partly with raised tatami mats and sofas in front of the windows, and partly is open to the air. The three types of windows form three patterns of view, all of which will affect the landscape design. The designers not only need to take the continuous view of the outdoors into consideration, but also the continuity and changes of the linear framing between the private rooms, so as to create a changing and coherent natural landscape in the interior.
The spacious corner aisle is a place for you to stand for a while and explore outward. When you pass by, you can see that the continuous space is divided by the center structural columns, with large pieces of yellow rust stone crushed together to create a continuous space with different atmospheres. When you go up the steps towards the outdoors and looking back, the long landscape outside the room is presented in a higher side view, as if you are looking out in the valley, with different flavors as the height changes, and there are infinite possibilities of mysterious and ethereal spirit when looking down the valley.
When you continue going forward, you can see canopy line and the city skyline on the other side of the Qiantang River since the west side of the private room is near the Qiantang River. The designers take different types of windows into consideration by means of gardening techniques according to its topography to reduce the impact of the current site on the landscape’s effect.
The exterior corridor creates a continuous landscape, where you can look through the plants and the stones along the boundary, waterflow, and topography. The water flows through and around the stones until it comes together in one place to appear as open water. The elements that are connected to it are transited to greenery, gentle slopes and stones in the next window view, forming a hierarchy of intertwining and interlacing.
The foothills of the mountain suddenly open up after a long walk. The woods and rocks are naturally intertwined, reflecting the mottled stone platform sculptures under the shadow of the trees. The Turtle Island and Crane Island are layered with stones.
The tea house is calm and quiet, which pays more attention to privacy compared to other areas focusing on spirituality. The large-scale water sculpture is divided into internal and external parts that the internal surface is polished, and the external part is decorated with water reflecting the light of the sky, which penetrates the glass wall to form a complete circle. The large stone strips simulate the scene of the tea field, shaping the space that transcends its own spiritual power, forming a spiritual resonance.
Walking to the casual area, the landscape of giant objects and the mountains and springs at entrance form a counterpoint, retelling the whole story. The mountains which are made up of landscape rocks form a view of ridges and peaks under limited sight, and the part above the building curtain wall forms a cliff. With different light angles at different times of the day, you can feel the pure sense of volume and texture, looking out to the end of the world.
After the visit, you can go to the public corridor of the restaurant, which corresponds to the wine-tasting and cigar area on the other side of the restaurant, and is also an extension of the indoor space. The designers used a sculptural approach to create an outdoor counterpoint, with an enclosed flower pool appearing as an accent, but also as seats, which is suitable for you to put down your wine from a standing position. Scattered sculptures and natural stones, together with clean paving, create a comfortable, modern public space.
At the entrance pauses and interior aisles, the designer customizes floral vessels according to the ambience, with seasonal delicately arranged flowers to add surprise to the pauses.
Members: Kang Heng, Sun Wei, Hu Xiaonan, Ye Zhao, Zhang Ling, Guo Shutong, Zheng Haili, Lou Jiabin, Chen Yipei, Wang Xuting
Project Scope: Conceptual Design, Construction Drawings, Design Supervision
Completion Date: 2023.10
Photographer: Su Shengliang
Florist:Na Ya
