Young and ambitious Chinese architects from MAD already have an enduring reputation as experimenters and specialists in iconic solutions that shape the architectural environment. It can be said that the attempt to completely reshape the surrounding landscape with ultra-modern bold shapes is their trademark. This project provided them with the broadest search opportunities.
The Sheraton Huzhou Hot Spring Resort hotel complex occupies an area of more than 30 hectares on the southern shore of Taihu Lake. The Moon Hotel itself, with an area of 95 thousand m2, accommodates 321 rooms of various levels of comfort (among them 44 "suites" and 39 so-called "villas"), but each of them has a balcony.
A giant "arch" with a height of over 100 m and a width of 116 m is located directly on the water surface. Its outer shell made of glass and horizontal rings of white aluminum is integrated with LED illumination with a variety of illumination scenarios. So at night, the building is completely transformed, it becomes a platform for artistic experiments and the play of reflections. An infinite number of allusions arise, as far as fantasy allows.
But the spectacular appearance is not the only advantage of the hinge building: the form turned out to be beneficial from a functional point of view. The reinforced concrete "pipe" of its structure provides excellent seismic resistance, and slightly rounded panoramic windows provide absolutely all guests with a unique view of the lake and a high level of natural light. It is no coincidence that a rounded area for large social events is located in the upper part of the hotel.
L. M.
