'Tales from the loop' is a cluster of scattered gateways amid an ancient chinese woodland area

Nestled among an ancient chinese woodland area, ‘tales from the loop’ by WAY studio, envisions a unique hotel experience.

The project takes form as a cluster of scattered looped- or circular-shaped volumes, serving as gateways from the bustling city, and reflecting the human need to connect with nature. Emerging from the greenery landscape, the plan includes vacation residences, as well as private villa dwellings, some are half-sunk in the terrain while others are elevated like treehouses.

Away from the city, embraced by nature, visitors can slow down, listen, touch, feel and connect with the earth. Giving the shape of a universal circle or loop, the architects symbolize people’s relationship with nature, embracing and respecting it, and highlight the fundamental interconnection especially in these times of distance and isolation. WAY studio generated a meandering experience through the ancient woods, ‘as nature towers over and surrounds us, and both our past and panoramic future unravel before us.’

The ‘loop hotel’ is the first construction that greets the guests. In order to maintain an open landscape view with minimal structural obstruction, the hotel is designed as a loop with half of it buried underground so it merely appears to be an extension of the surrounding land. The sunken portion faces approaching guests, allowing for a gradual reveal that feels as if they are entering into the hollows of nature itself.

The architects created ‘hotel villa’ buildings that mimic trees within the forest and offer a panoramic view of the surrounding landscape. Furthermore, ‘treehouse hotel’ wraps around trees similar to traditional treehouses, situated above ground, and below its tree canopy, reminiscent of all the creatures that inhabit within. Moreover, ‘hillside villas mountain’ are canopies perfectly camouflaged within the woods like giant tents, designed to withstand the whimsical and perpetually shifting weather of the forests. Last but not least, ‘hilltop villas’ have a cylindrical form that minimizes material and visual massing, while its lifted underbelly develops a naturally ventilated and shaded living room.

Project info:

Name: tales from the loop

Architects: WAY studio

Design team: Zheng Tao, Fernie Lai, Alan Hung, Zhang Zequn, Wang Shuobin, Li Yuanhao, Tian Yiqing, Yusuf Chan, Yvonne Lang

Location: Huizhou, P.R. China

Building area: 32,940.6 sqm (35,4569.6 sq ft)

Building height: ~9.1-12.5 m

Floor area ratio: 1