GroupGSA has unveiled design for a mountain-like town resort in Guilin, China. The new resort, named Guiling Huangyao Ancient Town Resort, is inspired by the natural landscape and topography, the local culture and wildlife, and the timeless flow of the river that has washed and carved the landscape. 

GroupGSA’s design creates curved, mountain-like forms that rise as if born from the surrounding landscape. The building’s gently curving forms echo the area’s topographical lines and combine with the surrounding karst hills and ancient trees to almost disappear into the scenery.

Nestled amongst the soaring mountains of Zhaoping county in China’s south, the Huangyao Ancient Town Resort features 103 rooms across 27 villas, amid a myriad of dining, exercise and playground facilities. 

The guest accommodation and services impart a sense of harmony with the surrounding landscape and embody the cultural artefacts that distinguish this historic and culturally-significant region.

The Resort’s namesake town, Huangyao, has thrived for over a thousand years - lending the area a significance further heightened by the dramatic rising peaks and flowing river that have delivered life to the area for a millennia. The Resort developers sought to capture this distinctive visual ambience for visiting guests in the complex’s design.

Group GSA undertook a creative exploration of the local ancient architecture, in combination with the natural elements featured in the surrounding environment and the sculptural forms of the resulting topography. 

"Seeking to establish a relationship to both location and tradition, our design was informed by the curvature of the river meandering through the valley, the topographical lines generated by the landscape, and the brick archways peppered through the village," said GroupGSA.

"Our architectural response celebrates these with sweeping arcs and folds, and a textural dialogue with the existing historic architecture."

The resulting built forms blend effortlessly into the undulations of the mountains, imparting a sense of relaxation and primitive wonder to visiting guests. Rooftop lines billow and surge, and the abundant use of timber reverberates with the tree-covered peak that cradles the Resort.

Embraced by flows of winding water, in Chinese Feng Shui Huangyao is an ideal place for people to live. On a practical level, water running peacefully along a winding channel delivers greater convenience for daily life. 

The firm, therefore, used water as an essential element in its design, and also referenced other local symbols, including o the town's Southland-style architecture, primitive simplicity, blue bricks and black tiles.

Circulation diagram

Functional diagram 

GroupGSA is Professional Member of World Architecture Community and the firm won the WA Award in the 28th Cycle with ICarbonX Towers Shenzhen in China. 

Project facts

Location: Huangyao Ancient Town Resort, Guilin China

Rooms: 103 

Villas: 27

Facilities: Gym and Spa, Children Swimming pool, Adults Swimming Pool, Observatory Tower, Mountain Track, International Restaurant, Chinese Restaurant, Library, Sport Facilities, Children Playground.

Design Lead: Alina Valcarce

All images courtesy of GroupGSA

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