Art Hotel provides immersive experience within iconic Chinese landscape

Designed by Bonham Architecture and Interiors

From designer Jason Bonham:

Huangshan has a unique landscape and is synonymous with the art of Chinese landscape painting. So to be able to contribute to a centre of art and hospitality in such a location is a chance that does not come often in a designer’s career.

The utmost effort has gone into designing a destination that not only contributes to the cultural environment but will be equally attractive to locals, as well as Chinese and international travellers.

This project was very much about designing around a destination and immersive experience.  It is not a city hotel, or a conference centre in the periphery of a city, but a place that needs special effort to get to and therefore needs to reward those who make that effort, in both an aesthetic and cerebral sense. 

This creates high expectations and its own set of requirements.  

Guests need to feel comfortable and at home and at ease.  In most cases, they will stay for a few days; the hotel will be their home base, often after long days hiking in the surrounding mountains.  

They will want to soak sore legs in hot springs and revive tired feet with a traditional Chinese massage.  

They want to enjoy comforting food prepared from local produce including locally sourced herbs, vegetables and fungi from the mountains and enjoy the famous Chinese teas of Anhui. 

Beautiful landscapes that inspired artists for centuries will surround hotel guests and they will be able to reflect on these experiences through exposure to art. We envision a permanent exhibition of finest landscape paintings, depicting the tradition of Huangshan as motivation or inspiration.

There will be continuous temporary exhibitions that allow patrons to engage with art, both in a local historical and international context.  

The local environment and scenery has inspired many styles of artistic expression, and our intention is that the art centre provides a source of inspiration for the next progression of local artistic inspiration and development.

Along with the exhibitions, an active gallery area has been included for all forms of contemporary art, both national and international.   Our purpose here is to create a space that promotes artistic discourse and inspiration. 

The facilities will be open to the public, but will also cater to experts and professionals, be it through conferences or curated auctions of international level art. 

Key to the design of the hotel complex was the ability for guests to be able to retreat, rest and rejuvenate in comfortable, private rooms designed and furnished to convey a sense of warmth and holistic integration with the local ecology and scenery. 

Each room has an external balcony that allows guests to enjoy the fresh clean mountain air, stunning scenic views that include mountains and waterfalls and streams that provide a backdrop of the soothing sounds of water.

Bonham Architecture and Interiors has also designed an extensive lakeside residential project in Anhui Province.

Story by: Trendsideas