{"id":279107,"date":"2025-06-20T11:31:08","date_gmt":"2025-06-20T02:31:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.adfwebmagazine.jp\/?p=279107"},"modified":"2025-06-20T11:34:25","modified_gmt":"2025-06-20T02:34:25","slug":"dongmingshan-senyu-hotel-a-minimally-invasive-forest-resort-in-hangzhou","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.adfwebmagazine.jp\/en\/architect\/dongmingshan-senyu-hotel-a-minimally-invasive-forest-resort-in-hangzhou\/","title":{"rendered":"Dongmingshan Senyu Hotel: A Minimally Invasive Forest Resort in Hangzhou"},"content":{"rendered":"

Experience to Reconnect Themselves with the Forest<\/h3>\r\n

G<\/span>LA Architects<\/a> completes a poetic hotel project \"Dongmingshan Senyu Hotel<\/a>\", nestled in a forest, redefining architectural intervention through subtlety and immersion. The resort is a 1,300\u33a1 hospitality project and completed in 2024. Set within a lush landscape of metasequoias and bamboo groves, the hotel embraces nature with minimal intervention. The project includes a reception center and three types of cabins\u2014each crafted to blend gently into its woodland surroundings, while offering guests an immersive forest experience.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

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Pinecone Cabins
\r\nPhoto credit: Chen Xi Studio<\/p><\/div>

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Pinecone Cabins
\r\nPhoto credit: Chen Xi Studio<\/p><\/div>

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Reception Center
\r\nPhoto credit: Chen Xi Studio<\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\n

Subtle Design in a Complex Site<\/h4>\r\n

The site lies at the end of a mountain path, beside a flowing stream and surrounded by towering metasequoias. A few old wooden structures stood in decay. Instead of clearing the land, GLA approached the site as a \u201cminimally invasive surgery\u201d, carefully integrating new architecture, while preserving existing vegetation. No trees were cut; every intervention was guided by respect for the terrain and ecology.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

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Aerial View
\r\nPhoto credit: Chen Xi Studio<\/p><\/div>

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Reception Center
\r\nPhoto credit: Chen Xi Studio<\/p><\/div>

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Aerial View
\r\nPhoto credit: Chen Xi Studio<\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\n

A Reception Center in Dialogue with the Landscape<\/h4>\r\n

The reception center, the project\u2019s main built element, retains the volume of a former structure. A large south-facing window frames the forest while shielding the adjacent slope. North-facing clerestory windows bring the bamboo grove into the space. The building becomes a threshold between the forest and the retreat, allowing visitors to be immediately enveloped in nature.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

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Reception Center
\r\nPhoto credit: Chen Xi Studio<\/p><\/div>

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Reception Center
\r\nPhoto credit: Chen Xi Studio<\/p><\/div>

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Reception Center
\r\nPhoto credit: Chen Xi Studio<\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\n

Pinecone Cabins: Modular and Lightweight<\/h4>\r\n

Located within the metasequoia grove, the Pinecone Cabins are elevated to preserve the forest floor and avoid tree roots. Inspired by pinecones in both form and modular logic, these cabins adapt flexibly to site conditions. The narrowing rooflines echo the verticality of the trees, while offering a distinctive identity.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

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Pinecone Cabins
\r\nPhoto credit: Chen Xi Studio<\/p><\/div>

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Pinecone Cabins
\r\nPhoto credit: Chen Xi Studio<\/p><\/div>

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Pinecone Cabins
\r\nPhoto credit: Chen Xi Studio<\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\n

Metasequoia Wood Cottages: Elevated and Immersive<\/h4>\r\n

The Metasequoia Wood Cottages adopt a stilted construction, enhancing ventilation and reducing site disturbance. This form is ideal for the humid, wildlife-rich environment. A double-pitched roof complements the canopy above, while skylights bring natural light deep into the tall interior spaces, connecting guests to the rhythms of sun and wind.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

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Metasequoia Wood Cottage
\r\nPhoto credit: Chen Xi Studio<\/p><\/div>

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Metasequoia Wood Cottage
\r\nPhoto credit: Chen Xi Studio<\/p><\/div>

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Metasequoia Wood Cottage
\r\nPhoto credit: Chen Xi Studio<\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\n

Bamboo Huts: Transparency and Flexibility<\/h4>\r\n

Set along the forest edge, three minimalist boxes are wrapped in woven bamboo fa\u00e7ades. These fa\u00e7ades filter daylight and create soft visual transitions between indoor and outdoor spaces. The visible steel frame allows future modifications and demonstrates a quiet, adaptable architectural language rooted in the local material palette.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

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A Bamboo Hut
\r\nPhoto credit: Chen Xi Studio<\/p><\/div>

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A Bamboo Hut
\r\nPhoto credit: Chen Xi Studio<\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\n

A Gentle Construction Process<\/h4>\r\n

To preserve the forest, the design team conducted repeated on-site studies to map every tree. Construction plans were adjusted in real time to avoid harming the landscape. The result is a hotel that feels placed\u2014rather than imposed\u2014in its environment. Through minimal intervention, the project invites guests to reconnect with the forest\u2014and with themselves.<\/p>\r\n\n\t\t