Xixi Yunlu

Xixi Yunlu is located in Xihu District, Hangzhou, 500 meters away from Xixi Wetland. The beauteousness of Xixi lies not only in the landscapes, but also in the reclusive temperament. The Hongs have been settled in Xixi from generations to generations, while the classical gardens such as Hongzhong Bie’ye, Hongs House, Meizhu Villa, and Xixi Cottage are located here, possessing the site a profound cultural background.

All of these make Xixi the best site to build a Chinese Arcadia in the bustling downtown. The traditional value of architecture is fully respected and reinterpreted by the team, which makes the new buildings fit in well with the old ones. On the one hand, the design absorbs nutrients from traditional Chinese architectural language: the construction techniques such as enclosing and borrowing views are adopted to form enclosed courtyards through buildings, corridors and grey spaces. Rockery, waterscape and plants are introduced to create elegant and private courtyard life. On the other hand, the design uses large scale glass and other modern materials in the traditional courtyard to carry out modern style space layout and interior design, ensuring the lighting and ventilation of the building, and improving the comfort of living.

On the premise of exploring the Oriental philosophy, the team attempts to discuss the interdependent relationship between human, space and universe from the international perspective of contemporary humanity, reshaping the traditional architectural language, and constructing the poetic dwelling about light and shadow deduced by materials.