The ‘lift’ strategy

The Sky Yards Hotel evokes the traditional method of Chinese garden-making to hide and reveal. The “room + micro-courtyard” model takes the disadvantage of the site location and turns it into a new, distinctive experience that “lifts” the gaze

The Sky Yards Hotel is minimalist and white and emerges as a visually continuous experience because of its imperceptible borders and balconies that are “raised” or expanded like the milk carton’s spouts to receive light and air. It frames the surrounding landscape, making the eyes of observers turn upwards and beyond in the direction of the Taihang Mountains. The hotel’s presence raises the level of this site that is objectively disadvantaged by an unfinished construction site and waste and industrial land, in a small town in the province of Henan. Domain Architects, because of this not very pleasant setting, rejected the conventional model of the contemporary hotel room focusing on the connection between inside and outside, focusing instead on the room experience. Full-size glass doors divide the unit and combine the room and micro-yard, where the exterior wall seems to have been pinched here and there by an invisible hand, creating a distinctive facade that successfully hides the landscape below. This also gives the large balconies enough privacy to hold outdoor bathtubs. During the day, the sunlight interacts variously with the opening’s curved

wall, creating dramatic shadows and giving a striking rhythmic dynamism to the facade. The building is raised by a half-floor to perfectly meet the complex demands of pedestrian and car circulation. The yard below is also ‘lifted’ creating sloping paths to the entrance, flanked by a 20x12 meter swimming pool surrounded by bamboo on both sides. Guests can follow the sloping walkways to the restaurant or hotel lobby, where there are private dining rooms with mountain views. Creating an abstract version of the mountain — achieved by lifting the ground level — not only respects Chinese garden-making traditions but also balances the mass by the reuse of excavations. Looking out from the first floor, transparent windows surrounded by translucent glass frame a view of the front courtyard and the mountain in the distance. The ‘lift strategy’ is also applied to the interior design, from the circulation routes in the public area on the first floor to the signs for the room numbers on the guest floors. The rooms, 48 in all, are furnished in a minimalist style with soft colors, sleek-lined furnishing, and concrete and wood finishes, making the lush, changing colors of nature the true stars.

Architectural & Interior design: Domain Architects Lead architect & Landscape design: Xiaomeng Xu Interior design: Xiaomeng Xu, Hannah Wang Structural consultant: AND Office Furnishings: on design

Author: Antonella Mazzola Photo credits: Chao Zhang