Location: Chongqing, China.

Architect: Hassell.

The Palm Island project is a new hospitality precinct located on the banks of Palm Lake and the Taiping Reservoir in Chongqing. Designed by HASSELL, the project features five buildings housing six different restaurants that appear to float on the lake. The key element of the design is water, which has been melded with light and reflections to create a unique project concept. Patrons at each restaurant enjoy views of natural water vistas on one side and a private ‘water courtyard’ on the other, integrated visually through the creation of an infinity pool-style water feature. The designers drew inspiration from the geography of Chongqing, which sits at the convergence of the Yangtze River and Jialing River. The project features a unique interplay of crystal-like glass structure and an external white ceramic covering that interacts with the lake waters to give off a musical quality. The ever-changing reflections during the day give change to a dreamlike quality at night.

Photo credit: Luo Wen.