Location: Xuchang, China.

Architect: Department of Architecture Co.

The MIST Hot Spring Resort in China’s Henan province aims to attract both domestic and international travelers all year round. The resort is located in Xuchang prefecture, which has been a famous hot spring destination for over a thousand years. The resort’s natural attribute is China’s finest geothermal underground water, which gives off gently lingering mist floating above the water surface. The interior design of the resort is inspired by the beauty of the hot spring steam itself. Architecturally-scaled site-specific installations exploring natural phenomenon relating to mist and water are designed and installed throughout the hotel as the main elements that tie the entire experience together. The interior space is kept monochrome with color accents in crystals and floor lighting sculptures. The facade of the building is doubled with a three-dimensional lattice structure inspired by Chinese bamboo scaffolding, filled with shades of blue and magenta glazing. The architectural and interior surfaces are kept monochrome to receive and heighten the effect of the colored light painted upon itself through the colored glass. As sunlight shines through the facade, it floods the space with colorful light while at the same time; the colored glass brightens up the gloomy sky while looking out from the inside. Here, color is used as a three-dimensional architectural element, not as finishing material, to create not only unique visual but also space.

Photo credit: W Workspace.