Lotus Resort is located in Xiangshawan Desert, a part of Kubuqi Desert. Due to the restriction by its special geographic, we invented a new structural system that fix in fluid sands using only steel panels without the help of concrete or water. The panels and the supporting skeleton structures are pre-fabricated, and make the base of the building a large container for sands. Thus, the steel panel structure can function as a boat floating on desert that carries our building. The sands in and out of the structure exert same forces to each other, and thus it is flexibly stabilized. Also, walls are load-bearing structures in order to reduce the pressure on base.
Moreover, we use materials from desert in interior design so that people get full experience of desert in Lotus Resort. For instance, through a series of experiments, we managed to invent a wall-covering material that is made of sands from local desert.
We used the traditional Chinese idea of “Zhen”, which is, in simple words, repeating same elements. Rotation of squares in a same angle creates triangles in the process, and made the form stronger. In consideration of structure, shading and wind, we integrated function, form and landscape, resulting in a form of lotus. Lotus Resort is only a part of Xiangshawan Desert planning.
Project Credits
Project Name: Xiangshawan Desert Lotus Hotel
Location: Kubuqi Desert, Dalad, Ordos, Inner Mongolia, China
Client: Xiangshawan Tourism
Architects: PLAT ASIA
Design Team: Baoyang Bian, Donghyun Jung, Satoshi Maeda, Shuangquan Li, Wenke Qiao, Huiling Dao, Doudou Li
Type: Masterplan, Architecture, Interior, Landscape
Construction Design: Beijing Huachengboyuan Engineering Technology Group
Construction Firm: BNBM House
Photograph: Arch-Exist Photography; PLAT ASIA
Use: Resort Hotel
Total floor area: 30700sqm
Site area: 50,000sqm
Building scope: 2F
Max Height: 40m
Construction: Light Weight Steel Structure
Structure material: Steel, Membrane
Interior material: Sand, etc
Design Period: 2006-2014
Completion time: 2016
