Location: Hangzhou, China.

Architect: GOA (Group of Architects).

MUH SHOOU XIXI is a hotel located in the XIXI Wetland area of China. The name of the hotel comes from the last fruit left by farmers on trees, which is intended to be shared with animals in nature to pray for a good harvest in the coming year. The hotel is renovated from five old buildings and is designed to showcase the natural beauty of the wetland. The architects aimed to evoke a connection between humans and nature through the design. The hotel is surrounded by native vegetation, including many persimmon trees, and the architects integrated the building into the environment by recording the root elevation and species of all trees and adapting the functional layout of the hotel to local conditions. The entrance features a table of Chinese zither and persimmon trees in a water court, and the corridors are made of recycled old wood boards, rusted steel, and water-washed marble. The restaurant faces water on three sides and uses recycled wood and left material from the processing of lake stones as main materials. The banquet hall is surrounded by 270° French windows and seamlessly blends with the outdoor natural forests, lawns, and waterside terrace. The design of the water route is based on the original landform of the wetland, and the landscape design follows the principle of “ecology first.” The lighting design is based on moonlight, and the hotel is hidden in the dense forest, interpreting the poetic aesthetics of primitive nature.

Photo credit: SHIROMIO STUDIO, Three wind, Zhou Yijin.