GroupGSA creates mega-resort in thousand-year-old Chinese town
by Andrew Manns | 27 Nov 2018
Global design practice GroupGSA have revealed the latest images for "Huangyao Ancient Town Resort", a soon-to-be-built luxury destination in Guilin, China.
Developed by Guangxi Lingyu Chuanghe Tourism Investment, the resort will comprise 103 rooms and 27 villas and feature a gym, spa, and playground, as well as multiple pools, sporting facilities, and restaurants.
The structure will also include an observatory tower which will provide guests with 360-degree views of the countryside.
In a statement, GroupGSA said that they wanted to create "mountain-like forms that rise as if born from the surrounding landscape".
Alina Valcarce, lead architect for the project told CLAD: "The site is surrounded by fabulous mountains and hills, old trees, and water which make it very unique. The challenge of the design was to integrate the resort to the surrounding landscape but at the same time keep the culture and history of the town as inspiration to our concept."
Once complete, the hotel will be the village’s main attraction, joining the site’s pre-modern temples and pavilions – all of which date to the Ming and Qing dynasties.
Work on the project is scheduled to begin in 2019.
GroupGSA China Alina Valcarce Huangyao
GroupGSA said their architectural response pays homage to the surrounding valley 'with sweeping arcs and folds and a textural dialogue with the existing historic architecture'. / Courtesy of GroupGSA
Construction on the resort is slated to begin in the second half of 2019. / Courtesy of GroupGSA
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by Andrew Manns | 13 Dec 2018
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by Andrew Manns | 12 Dec 2018
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by Andrew Manns | 12 Dec 2018
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by Andrew Manns | 12 Dec 2018
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by Andrew Manns | 06 Dec 2018
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by Andrew Manns | 06 Dec 2018
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by Lauren Heath-Jones | 05 Dec 2018
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Danish architects Adept win competition for new Berlin City Museum
by Luke Cloherty | 03 Dec 2018
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Kampung Admiralty, a community-centred mixed-use development in Singapore, has won the World Architecture Festival Building of the Year 2018. Designed by WOHA Architects, the 11-storey structure, which is reportedly the first integrated facility in Singapore to provide housing for retirees, features a biophilic rainforest and includes residences, restaurants, and medical centres. Describing the Admiralty as an "elevated village green", the firm said: "The close proximity to healthcare, social, commercial, and
Bjarke Ingels reveals designs for Oakland's new 'intimate' baseball stadium
by Tom Walker | 30 Nov 2018
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Leisure buildings win big on second day of World Architecture Festival Awards
by Andrew Manns | 29 Nov 2018
The second day of the World Architecture Festival Awards (WAF) saw a number of restaurants, hotels, and cultural spaces celebrated in multiple categories. In the Culture Future Projects category, Studio 44’s Museum of the Defence and Siege of Leningrad took the top prize. Created to commemorate the Siege of Leningrad, arguably one of the most violent episodes of WWII, the building features an in-depth 'Chamber of Diaries' which narrates the
FaulknerBrowns Architects-designed £270m indoor ski centre plans approved for Swindon, UK
by Tom Walker | 29 Nov 2018
A major new indoor snow centre and leisure destination in Swindon, UK has been given the green light by the local council. Designed by sports and leisure specialists FaulknerBrowns Architects, the £270m (US$345m, €303m) project will include a 2,00sq m (21,500sq ft) snow centre featuring two real-snow slopes – measuring 75m and 170m in length. It will also house a 12-screen cinema with the largest IMAX screen in the UK;
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by Andrew Manns | 28 Nov 2018
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by Jane Kitchen | 28 Nov 2018
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by Andrew Manns | 27 Nov 2018
Esports Stadium Arlington, the largest video gaming stadium in North America, has opened in Texas. Designed by international architecture firm Populous and built by Shawmut Design and Construction, the new 100,000 sq ft (929 sq m) facility features eight tea rooms, a player lounge, and a competition space amplified by surround sound. The venue, which will be able to accommodate up to 2,500 people, will also utilise broadcasting technology supplied
Thailand’s tallest building unveils Ole Scheeren-designed skywalk
by Andrew Manns | 27 Nov 2018
The MahaNakhon SkyWalk – an observation deck designed by German architecture studio Buro Ole Scheeren – has opened in Bangkok. Located a heartstopping 314 metres above the ground atop the 77-storey King Power MahaNakhon complex, the deck – dubbed the "Skytray" – features a walkable glass platform and bar, providing panoramic views of the surrounding urban landscape. Speaking on the opening, Scheeren said: "The idea behind MahaNakhon was to take
SPARK Architects to head up design for Guangzhou shipyard
by Andrew Manns | 26 Nov 2018
Architecture firm SPARK have won an international competition to design a new waterfront destination in Guangzhou, China. The planned 56-hectare mixed-use development, which will be constructed on the site of a 19th-century shipyard, will feature a sports hall and pavilion park as well as multiple dining, residential, and commercial facilities. According to SPARK the aim of the "design scheme is founded on the pragmatic principles of good connectivity, density and
Dubai firm to build the world’s largest sports mall
by Andrew Manns | 26 Nov 2018
Emirati real estate developer Viva City Developments has announced that it will supervise the creation of a record-breaking sports complex in Dubai. Dubbed "The Sports Society", the 3-storey structure will occupy 3,717 sq m of space and a feature number of leisure attractions, such as an ice-skating rink, trampoline park, martial arts dojo, bowling alley, and cricket simulator, as well as multiple climbing walls and retail shops. Other amenities in
Grimshaw Architects offer first look at the newest Eden Project
by Andrew Manns | 26 Nov 2018
London-based architecture firm Grimshaw have unveiled renderings of Eden Project North (EPN), a marine-centred recreational complex and leisure attraction in Morecambe, UK. Conceptualised for environmental charity Eden Project International, the new destination will take the form of a series of mussel-shaped pavilions on the Morecambe seafront. EPN will also feature a number of amenities and facilities intended to enhance well-being, including lidos, performance halls, gardens, and observatories. The development is
Former North Carolina steel factory resurrected as The Foundry Hotel
by Andrew Manns | 22 Nov 2018
Curio Collection by international hospitality group Hilton has opened a boutique hotel on the site of a former steel mill in Asheville, North Carolina. Designed by local design studio Lagom Interiors, the 87-room Foundry Hotel – which will be operated by Charlestowne Hotels – features an herb garden, fitness room, and a 3,400 sq ft courtyard. Other facilities include a mixology bar and lounge as well as the Benne Eagle
Eye in the sky: Foster + Partners envision the City of London’s tallest skyscraper
by Andrew Manns | 22 Nov 2018
Foster + Partners have unveiled images for the Tulip Tower, an observatory and event space intended to become the City of London’s next cultural attraction. The 305-metre skyscraper, which will stand alongside the now iconic Gherkin building, will be an office-free venue, providing panoramic views of the city. Developed by J. Hafra Group as part of the City Corporation of London’s Cultural Mile public engagement initiative, the complex will feature
Miami says 'yes' to David Beckham’s Freedom Park and Soccer Village
by Andrew Manns | 21 Nov 2018
The City of Miami has thrown its support behind Freedom Park and Soccer Village, David Beckham’s long-awaited stadium and training facility. The proposed complex, which has been a subject of media speculation since it was first announced in 2013, will be the home of Beckham’s Major League Soccer (MLS) team, Internacional Club de Fútbol Miami. Designed by Miami-based architecture firm Arquitectonica, the development will include a 25,000-seat stadium and a
Handel Architects design ocean club and resort at historic Asbury Park
by Andrew Manns | 19 Nov 2018
Handel Architects have released images of their latest project on the New Jersey Shore: the Asbury Ocean Club. Developed by iStar, the new mixed-development property, which will be located in the popular Asbury Park beachfront district, will rise 16 storeys and include a 54-room hotel as well as 130 residences. The estimated US$300m (€262m, £233m) complex – which will feature the interior design expertise of studios Anda Andrei and Bonetti/Kozerski
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