ANNSO HILL : Untold Beauty

Tengchong, China
overview of the ancient town
Photo © Jin Weiqi
a three-dimensional facade of ancient town and mountain landscape
Photo © Jin Weiqi
elevation
Drawing © STUDIO QI
ANNSO·HILL section
Drawing © STUDIO QI
the deconstructed facade redefines the “existence” of the roof
Photo © Jin Weiqi
space and time
Drawing © STUDIO QI
circulation diagram of the public area
Drawing © STUDIO QI
the first point after entering the restaurant, reflecting the concept of “architectural field”
Photo © Jin Weiqi
all of the interactive programs flow against the movements of the transitioning ground
Photo © Jin Weiqi
different scenes are continually happening and interacting
Photo © Jin Weiqi
openings vary in height to capture unique views towards the forest
Photo © Jin Weiqi
the tea pavilion on the top floor
Photo © Jin Weiqi
the public space extends to the tea room on the rooftop
Photo © Jin Weiqi
the flying corridor running through the landscape&the high ladder with 133 steps
Photo © Jin Weiqi
the play of lights and shadows recalls the streams in the mountain
Photo © Jin Weiqi
a distant view to the flying corridor
Photo © Jin Weiqi
ANNSO·HILL plan diagram
Drawing © STUDIO QI
room#12: to capture the optimum view from each room
Photo © Jin Weiqi
room#9: designed with a “micro-wall” spatial strategy
Photo © Jin Weiqi
flying over the eaves and roofs
Drawing © STUDIO QI
room#9: 2.5-dimensional spatial strategy is introduced to identify specific visual movements and programmatic performances within each space
Photo © Jin Weiqi
five of the eleven diagrams explaining the flying corridor
Drawing © STUDIO QI
Architects
Studio Qi Architects
Location
Tengchong, China
Year
2019
Team
Yuting Zhao, Ping Yang
Engineering
ADCAS

ANNSO HILL, located in Heshun, Yunnan, is a drastic L-shape architecture situated alongside an alleyway market and connects to the serene forest at the backdrop. The site is composed of two characteristically different lots, which begins with a compressed street-front zone on a steep slope, and ends on a gently reclined hillside aligned with beautiful tall trees.

Rather than competing with adjacent shops and facades in elevation, ANNSO HILL chooses as its formal strategy to step back and react directly towards the landscape. Pressed against the hill, the roof shifts and climbs 30 meters upward, while the frontal tiles touch the very ground on the edge of alley. This approach, as a result, provides an open space for the public realm that is extremely rare in Heshun, as visitors and locals are drawn to any and all creative activities or social programs. This tilting geometry also adds a new trajectory of complex relationship that is perpendicular to the linear street, which connects both visually and spatially with the town and the“hidden”hill by a sequence of living conditions. The backdrop of the forest is now visually brought to the fore, and superimposes with the overlapping roofs and walls. A new visual reading of a layered three-dimensional facade is thus constructed.

The entrance way cuts through the roofs, and leads the hotel to an“other”world. It is a play of ambiguity between roofs and walls , facades and grounds , elevations and plans; it becomes a design of an ”architectural field” instead of an“architectural room.” All of the interactive programs and creative activities, such as: café and bar, gallery, DIY, and yoga area; flow against the movements of the transitioning ground. The public space is thus justified by field conditions, and is continuously being re-defined by the series of events.

A flying corridor connects all the guest rooms in the back of the serene and tranquil hill. All rooms are unique in their formal reactions to site specifications and their particularly exclusive axis of view. An architectural operation of 2.5-dimensional spatial strategy is introduced to identify specific visual movements and programmatic performances within each space. All walls are shifting and being slightly carved-in, in order to create another dimension of spatial reading and also for practical usage. There is an emphasis on the play of light and shadow through manipulating the geometrical relationship between walls and windows. All objects in the hotel-rooms are arranged in the lower horizontal zone, leaving the above space to collect the grand views of the outside.

ANNSO HILL is a cultural and living space for creation. As such, it expounds a new definition for both the cultural and architectural values of Heshun ancient town.

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