Located in Cloud-living Mountain of Jiangxi Province of China, the origin and the ashram of Caodong Zen Buddhist sect, the project is a hotel with Zen as the theme and composed by four buildings: a reception center containing restaurant, gallery and other public spaces; on the east side is a tea house, where people taste tea and meditate for relax; two volumes of guest room are placed in the north leaning the foothill, set on two platforms on different levels.
These four buildings are dispersed in the mountain, sometimes being elevated and floating above the ground. Lightness is pursued. Horizontal forms come from the original dorm of monks with the extreme simplicity. Local bamboos are used as grille on façades to make built volumes a part of the landscape surrounding and to filter the natural light letting the inner space immersed in a soft atmosphere.
We tried to reduce environmental impact as far as possible and create a natural and simple ambience inspired by Zen culture. The form designed with steel and glass creates the purity and the void interior space. People coming from city for vacation will feel a world different, without physical and mental noise, and obtain the inner peace by living in the hotel.
