Oriental

In the fall of 2019, we were commissioned to redesign a 4000m2 old industrial site that included several derelict workshop buildings and warehouses. The owner envisioned constructing a modern garden-villa. The new structure was intended to function as a hotel with approximately 20 rooms, while also accommodating a vacation villa for the owner's family. We decided with the owner to incorporate additional public spaces to transform the project into a cultural and tourist hub that could attract visitors beyond just hotel guests. Atelier LI The location is bordered by a river to the north, a town road to the west, and an orchard-field to the east. To the south, a tall wall is required to block the neighboring industrial site. The main ent... More

In the summer of 2016, we designed One Mu Garden in Suzhou (one mu = 666.67m2). The chosen site is inward-focused, as we aimed to develop a garden-residence where the internal ambiance takes precedence over the external surroundings. Atelier LI Atelier LI Atelier LI   The site plan illustrates buildings arranged around the perimeter, with gardens at the center. The entrance is situated on the south side with a vegetable yard to the left and a garage to the right. Upon entering, a path appears between two walls, reminiscent of the rosebushes found in the classic Yipu garden. After a turn, we encounter a moon gate that offers a glimpse of the main garden's landscape. To access the garden, we need to first go indoors on t... More

Garden design is a process of evolution, creating an arrangement that connects the inhabitant with the environment. Driven by a spirit of spatial innovation and guided by Gilles Deleuze’s theory of the "rhizome," the concept of "becoming-garden" seeks to deterritorialize the traditional garden, redefining it to evolve alongside the residential systems of modern architecture. Atelier LI Situated in a villa district in the southern suburbs of Suzhou, the project addresses a dual spatial trap: the monotonous matrices of typical contemporary houses, and the rigid, historical formulas of traditional classical gardens. Both typologies, in their own ways, impose a sedentary, captured way of living—trapping inhabitants either with... More

Situated in the Cloud-living Mountain of Jiangxi Province, China, the origin of Zen culture, this project features a Zen-themed hotel comprised of four buildings. These include a reception center that houses a restaurant, gallery, and other communal areas; a tea house on the east side for tea tasting and meditation; and two guest room volumes located to the north, nestled against the foothill on different elevation platforms.  Atelier LI Atelier LI Atelier LI The buildings are spread throughout the mountainous landscape, some appearing to float above the ground, emphasizing a sense of lightness. Horizontal forms come from the original dorm of monks with the extreme simplicity. Local bamboo is utilized as a grille on the... More