Tao and the harmony of opposites

(solar, geothermal and photovoltaic) and ensuring the complete recycling of water, which is used in the final phase to irrigate the vineyards. The widespread use of Pietra di Luserna, an old local stone with terracotta and raw earth-based plasters enhances its internal microclimate year around. The wood comes exclusively from forests certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, the plastic used is all recyclable, and the furnishings include the best of Italian design (with pieces by Magistretti for De Padova and Citterio for B&B, for example) and classic international design the likes of Bouroullec brothers for Hay, Charlotte Perriand for Cassina, Hans Wegner and Ole Wanscher for Carl Hansen, among others. Restaurant, spa & wellness center, gym, outdoor swimming pool, art garden and an annexed villa for private events complete the hospitality features, and the property also continues farm productions such as that for honey. Designed for a refined clientele desiring a secluded destination, the resort also has a wine bar, a winery for tastings and a restaurant headed by renowned chef Manuel Bouchard. Also top of class are the landscape design, the work of Land, and the lighting design by PSLab.

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Tao and the harmony of opposites

In a UNESCO Heritage site of exceptional historical and environmental value, Neri & Hu have designed the Chuan Malt Whisky Distillery, inspired by the timeless principles of Chinese tradition

Neri&Hu, a distinguished, multidisciplinary architecture firm headquartered in Shanghai, have recently completed a project that stands on a site among those with the deepest, oldest spirituality in all of China: Mount Emei. The mountain is in the central-western province of Sichuan and is one of the four sacred mountains of the Buddhist tradition. Martial arts in particular were often practiced in its monasteries. This ancient site has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996. Three years ago, Neri & Hu won the design competition held by the French multinational Pernod Ricard to build its first Chinese whiskey distillery. “The revered land on which our project stands has a long, rich history,” the architects say. “Over many centuries, this place has been the site of a grand monastery and many historic battles, as well as a stop on pilgrim and trade routes. Although there is

Client: Pernod Ricard Architecture & Interior design: Neri&Hu Design and Research Office Landscape design: YIYU Design Construction: K&H International, Suzhou Hezhan, Qi’an Group Experience design: BRC Imagination Arts FF&E design: Design Republic Furnishings: Carl Hansen, Classicon, De La Espada, Stellar Works, Vitra; custom design Lighting: Parachilna, Viabizzuno; custom design

Author: Elena Franzoia Photo credits: Chen Hao no physical remnants of the past, the very landscape powerfully evokes this legendary past. This is why we chose to create a timeless architecture expressing the essential values of a forward-looking company, and the material and cultural heritage it aspires to support.” The name of the project, Shan-Shui (literally ‘mountain water’), is a nod to the site’s physical characteristics, which has a stream and is visually dominated by Mount Emei, and it also underscores coexisting opposites (the stability and permanence of the mountain, on one hand, and the fluidity and transformation of water on the other). This complementary quality is a basis for the Chinese concept of harmony and particular style of landscape painting. Homage to the Tao is paid in the project’s balanced duality, with space given both to the modern interpretation of the vernacular architecture that informs the industrial part of the complex and the geometric abstraction of the visitor spaces. The production area covers three elongated parallel buildings, arranged along the mountain slope, featuring the coexistence of concrete walls, large windows, and clay-tiled roofs.