(all photos © Shengliang Su)
by Ron Bernthal
The Yun Lu (Cloud House) is a boutique eco-resort designed by Shanghai-based Ares Partners and Atelier Liu Yuyang Architects, is nestled within Yangjia Village, Xingping Town, Guangxi, in the northeastern part of Yangshuo, and located along the dramatic landscape of the Li River. The 32,000 square-foot site consists of nine renovated old farm houses and one new addition which functions as an all-day dining restaurant for hotel guests. The property was completed in 2015, and is yet to be discovered by mainstream tourism.
Taking on a sensitive approach to the local culture with villagers still living nearby, the overall planning and landscape design blends into the original village structure without creating new boundary conditions to the villagers. The rammed earthed buildings were retrofitted to accommodate refreshing and uncompromisingly contemporary living, while the new restaurant addition (by design firm ALYA) adopts an understated presence with the use of steel frame, glass pivot doors and windows, in contrast with the locally sourced rough-cut stone blocks, charcoal treated wooden louvers and terra-cotta roof tiles to provide a rich tactile experience. The spatial dialogue and sense of continuity between the old and the new buildings maintain an order of symbiosis between the foreign (hotel) and the local (village). The same design principle extends into the interior space of the hotel.
This area in southern China is known for its dramatic landscape of limestone karst hills. At its center are two lakes, Shanhu (Cedar) and Ronghu (Banyan), remaining from a medieval-era moat that once surrounded the city of Guilin. Boats travel through these and other lakes via connected rivers. On the shore of Shanhu Lake are twin pagodas, the Sun and Moon, which light up the sky at night.
The dialogue between people, space, light and landscape is well thought out. The typical layout of the vernacular house here is a three bay structure with a double height volume in the middle bay. Each typical building consists of four guest rooms with a shared living and hangout space in the center.
Bamboo, wood, galvanized steel, concrete finishes and pebble washed stones are main materials being used in interior spaces. Most of wood beams and existing wooden doors have been refurbished and reused on the project. The architects say that “Our intent is to bring clam and tranquility atmosphere into the interior space.” The exterior building material is quite modest and unpretentious which we would want the interior to echo.
The rammed earthed buildings were retrofitted to accommodate a refreshing and uncompromisingly contemporary living style, while the new restaurant addition adopts an understated presence with the use of a steel frame, glass pivot doors and windows, rough-cut stone blocks, charcoal treated wooden louvres and terra-cotta roof tiles.
