Shanghai studio Ares Partners has converted a group of disused farm buildings into a boutique resort nestled amongst the rocky pinnacles of China’s Yangshuo County .
The Yun Residence eco-resort is situated in a village in the Guangxi area of China, which is a popular destination for visitors searching to explore the dramatic scenery of the Li River valley.
Architecture studio Ares Partners was asked to renovate and convert nine farmhouses into the resort’s 23 guest rooms, while respecting the character of the current village.
A new building accommodating an all-day restaurant for visitors was made in collaboration with Atelier Liu Yuyang Architects to reflect the forms and components of the vernacular architecture.
“Taking on a delicate method to the local culture, with villagers nonetheless living close by, the all round preparing and landscape style blends into the unique village framework without having creating new boundary conditions,” explained Helen Wang of Ares Partners.
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The new construction housing the restaurant, bar and reception area replaces some modest outhouses and had to be sensitively integrated into the total scheme.
It extends along the edges of a courtyard and features a glass-fronted elevation that provides a contemporary counterpoint to the solidity of the unique structures.
The building’s steel frame and in depth glazing contrast with its terracotta roof tiles and an inner wall made from rough stone blocks, resulting in a structure that references its surroundings but is distinctly modern.
“The spatial dialogue and sense of continuity in between the previous and the new buildings maintains an purchase of symbiosis among the foreign hotel and the regional village,” Wang additional.
“The exact same style principle extends into the interior room of the hotel. The dialogue among men and women, room, light and landscape is properly regarded as.”
The farm buildings are constructed from rammed-earth bricks and have been cautiously restored to retain their authentic appearance while accommodating new functions.
Primarily based on the traditional layouts of homes in the area, which function three bays with a double-height area occupying the central bay, the rooms in each of the guest homes are organized about a communal location containing the staircase.
The original earth walls continue to be prominent inside the guest rooms, exactly where contemporary resources such as bamboo, timber, galvanised steel and concrete complement their tactile good quality.
Existing timber beams and wooden doors have been refurbished and reused to accentuate the authentic really feel of the spaces.
Other examples of farms converted for substitute utilizes incorporate a contemporary art gallery housed in a series of disused farm buildings in the English countryside and a 150-year-old farm complicated in Switzerland that was transformed into workplace and apartment blocks.
Photography is by Su Shengliang.
Web site program 
Ground floor program 
First floor strategy 
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Segment two
