MIST Hot Spring Hotel
In efforts to combat the gloominess of winter in central China, Department of Architecture Co. worked to “colorize” a guest experience in the realization of the MIST Hot Spring Hotel in Xuchang City.
During winter in central China, a combination of white snow, grey sky, and leafless trees results in a gloomy monochromatic picture. The project is the attempt to create a unique way to “colorize” our guests’ experience. The inspiration came from the colorized B&W films in the early 1900’s when the artists hand-painted transparent color layers onto each B&W frame. The result was surreally colorful since the colors were not at the objects, but floated in the air. The idea was adopted into architectural language. The facade is doubled with lattice structure inspired by Chinese bamboo scaffolding, filled with shades of blue and magenta glazing. This system gives depth and color complexity to the façade, floods interior spaces with colorful light, combines balconies into a single architectural element, and brightens up the gloomy sky while looking out from the inside.
Architecturally-scaled arts installations exploring natural phenomenon relating to mist and water are installed throughout the building to tie the entire experience. At the lobby, the installation is inspired by a spectrum of light passing through hot steam. In the restaurant, the installation inspired by silver-lining cloud silhouette defines zones of seating. On the entire ballroom ceiling, a matrix of delicate acrylic rings forms a semi-transparent cloud-like shape. Large installations in the atriums inspired by two states of water – dew and droplet, stimulate illusion of dimension, scale and gravity.
Design: Department of Architecture Co.
Design Team: Amata Luphaiboon, Twitee Vajrabhaya Teparkum, Chaiyapat Mirasena, San-ming Chou, Waraphan Watanakaroon, Chanlika Boonpha, Waraluk Kuiprasert, Penlada Somjaidee, Yada Pianpanit, Passawee Vongcharoen, Kawisara Anansaringkarn, Thunchanok Sirichayaporn
Photography: W Workspace
