Shenzhen-based interior design firm GS Design has carved out this hotel with a series of voids and arch-shape frames to create like "a sophisticated art piece" and "a photographic background" for all scenes and settings in Sanya, China.

Named Sumei Skyline Coast Boutique Hotel, the 3,200-square-metre hotel is located nearby the Skyline Coast, a popular tourist attraction in Sanya, Hainan, enjoying vast and open seascape and surrounded by the lovely sound of crashing waves, which can relieve people’s spirits in the immersive blue natural ambience. 

The seven-storey hotel, presenting natural space aesthetics, plays with arched geometries with all-white and pure tones that create smooth surfaces making feel like that guests are staying in a modern cave.

For the hotel, the designer creates two interpretations for the façade structure of this project from different aspects, for instance, for the exteriors, the structure evokes the ocean waves rising and falling alone the shore. 

On the other hand, for the interiors, each peak of the ocean wave encloses an independent frame, presenting vivid pictures of the infinite blue ocean.

The designer creates a hotel lounge, unlike the traditional ones, in an area featuring reception, seating, photography and high tea.

"Crafting the space into a timely and sophisticated art piece" 

The height differences in the shallow water area further polish the artistic vibe, inspired by the winding coastline, the designer crafts the boundary of this area into a multifunctional platform, presenting a rich layered visual effect with the pool and the ocean. 

The designer aims at supporting spatial vibe with pure white tone to present a strong and specific contrast with the sky, seascape and sunset, which ensures a photographic background for all scenes and settings. 

"We work to craft the space into a timely and sophisticated art piece with long lifespan of usage by adopting this classic color," said the designer on the concept.

The blue sky, vast ocean, beach and palm are collected within the arch-shape frame to perfection, thanks to the precise aesthetic proportion. 

Wandering by the consecutive arch-shape windows, people are offered a broad vision of pure white, enjoying vivid natural scene everywhere within the area.

The first basement floor is dedicated to a complex of bar and infinity pool, which opens in different periods respectively or serve as a right place for pool parties thanks to the free layout with less partitions.

The champagne bottle-style matrix and the golden color well complement with each other to embellish the space in such a pure white context. 

People can appreciate the best sunset anywhere in the space when walking, standing, sitting, or even swimming. With a glass of wine, splendid natural lights and scenes, the romantic vibe in the space deserves every moment.

When people’s sight extends from the infinity pool and meets the invisible connection of pure white and blue, it would turn their perception and imagination to roof deck.  

With broad view on the roof deck of overlooking the misty green hills from afar and enjoy the vast and boundless sea in a near sight, the designer has developed the landscape to the most by dividing the space into many aesthetic settings including viewing, seating, hot spring bathing, photography areas, immersing people in a Mykonos vibe. 

The shallow water works as a mirror of the sky, the stone steps and the sunken seating area express the space order, and the arch installation forms a photograph spot. It provides a chill and relaxing interactive scene in such a fusion of nature and art.

The designer deconstructed the art with simple graphic morphemes, depicted circles inside the square, and made the them overlap with each other to form a loop, which ensures an in-depth vertical layered vision effect in the hot spring area. 

The shifting of light and shadow depicts poetry on the spatial structure; the silhouette of the waves, the afterglow of the sunset, and the ripples of the hot spring pool are all intersections of time and space.

The designer borrowed light to frame the scene to explained the aesthetic texture and the relationship between light and shade with ease. If window brings waves and sunset to the space, the skylight directly above the bed brings sparkling starlight and further enhance the natural vibe.

The design uses geometric elements such as circles, semi-circles, and squares are each a single frame, which form a three-dimensional and dramatic aesthetic scale by placing them in the back of the space.

The designer took off the visible door in the transition area of the arch to highlights the free and natural structure in the entry, making people linger in the pure white secret wonderland.

The hotel enjoys the seascape with a clear mind, while the designer maximizing the introduction of natural light and sea level, and created a subtle perception of the scenery from various perspectives through the height difference of different furniture. 

When lying on the bed, people can enjoy the sparkling artistic conception at any time with their sight level up with the sea horizon.

People can have a wonderful dream with the chilling ocean breeze and the natural sound of waves. 

The designer applied perfect proportions to visualize the pure and splendid scene with the frame structure, flawlessly allowing people’s imagination to meet with the scenery right in the moment.

"Art comes from life and goes beyond life," said the designer. 

GS Design excels at exploring and expressing the abundance of minimalist art, and an arc is a scene show window in this project. 

All furniture and beddings in the space feature pure white color, make the texture of the material have a dialogue between delicacy and rough. 

When the light and shadow penetrating the door, the structural relationship between points, lines and surfaces uniquely becomes lively and fun.

When getting darker, the setting sun would sink into the sea inch by inch, and the scattered fishing boats in the distance returns. 

The sparse street lamps along the coast get on one by one, interweaving with the afterglow of the sunset and creating a soft and warm ambience, which make the peaceful atmosphere permeate everywhere in the roof deck. 

The natural wonderland away from the hustle and bustle, as well as the long-lasting artistic life here, gently inspire people's enjoyment of sojourn life. 

Basement floor plan

First floor plan

Second floor plan

Rooftop floor plan

GS Design was co-founded in 2014 by several young designers Yuanman Huang and Liangchao Li in Shenzhen. 

As one of the leading interior design companies in China, the studio is devoted to providing professional and excellent interior design and service for domestic and commercial projects, including boutique hotels, real estates, shops and stores, offices, clubs and villas.

Project facts

Project: Sumei Skyline Coast Boutique Hotel

Architecture: GS Design

Location: Tianya Dristrict, Sanya, Hainan

Project Area: 3200m2

Completion Date: Dec. 2021

Owner: Sumei Skyline Coast Boutique Hotel, Sanya

Interiors and Furnishing: GS Design

Design Directors: Liangchao Li, Yuanman Huang

Furnishing Director: Yu Feng

Design Team: Chao Li, Zigeng Luo

All images © Ao Xiang

> via GS Design