surrounded by a mountainous landscape of trees, the ‘qingshe inn’ sits amid the undulating landscape of rural china. the architects behind the hotel, DL atelier, kept the existing buildings, which surround a large courtyard on three sides. this centrally positioned space has been divided using bamboo-formed concrete walls to create a series of secluded gardens, which negotiate the site’s height difference of about 1.8 meters (6 feet). ‘scattered platforms, walls, and bamboo sheds make the whole site not directly perceived — only by exploring the yards can one get a glimpse of it,’ say the architects.

all images by sun haiting, zhu yumeng

according to DL atelier, these stepped gardens not only provide places to sit and relax, but the platforms also slow down the pace of guests’ circulation — allowing more time to take in the natural surroundings. accommodating the site’s previously existing trees, the diagonal walls break up the rational order of the original site, creating six outdoor courtyards. as well as being employed for the wall’s formwork, bamboo is also used overhead to shade the courtyards.

each of the four platforms are connected by water. a pink steel channel flows from the back garden to other areas of the site with all four areas filled with the sound of water, either static or moving, blocking the noises from the road. elsewhere, the independent inner courtyard is paved with red brick, while the public platform is paved with black brick. the material selection hopes to fit the surrounding natural mountains as well as the atmosphere of each courtyard.

architecture and landscape: DL atelier (liu yang, duan qi, ding yuewen, cai zhuoqun, guo yuqiao） interior: warming house design (feng wenbo,li ru,chai ling) photography: sun haiting, zhu yumeng

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