The Hangzhou-based architecture firm Studio Qi has designed a hotel in western China that responds to its diagonally-shaped site by following a similarly angled arrangement. Named ‘Annso Hill’, the hotel is perched on an angled hillside; its rear surrounded by scenic forests.
The boutique hotel’s geometry is a complex zig-zag of angles and lines, creating a labyrinth of asymmetric points descending down to the street. Neighboring businesses on the street include quaint bed and breakfasts and independent shops. The entrance to the hotel begins where the lowest point of the roof meets the street; the tiles almost touch the pavement. Due to the steep nature of the site, there is a 30 meter difference in height from the front of the hotel to its rear. When viewed from the other side, the hotel appears to perch above the town, with a series of stepped rooflines. Each bedroom is oriented to have unobstructed views of the forest, boasting different views of the landscape. “This tilting geometry adds a new trajectory of a complex relationship that is perpendicular to the linear street,” explain the architects, “connecting both visually and spatially with the town and the hidden hill.” The hotel’s interior exists as a maze of staircases and walkways—one must follow a meandering path in order to reach rooms and hotel facilities. As well as bedrooms for guests, ‘Annso Hill’ has been designed to hold a series of spaces that are open for public enjoyment too, including a yoga room, a cafe, bar, and even a gallery space, existing as “a new definition for both the cultural and architectural values of Heshun ancient town.”
All images © Studio Qi
