This project consists of a gabled hot spring for a three-part complex in China.
With the intent to fully submerge a design into the landscape of Qiqihar China, we have constructed the “Hezhitang Hot Spring.” As part of a three-phase complex covering approximately 667,360 square feet, the overall plan includes aquatic clubs, charted spa rooms, a five-star hotel, small theaters, a mall, and corresponding ancillary buildings. Each of these areas are contained within rectilinear volumes that orient themselves towards the nearby wetlands. The architectural style is that of a gable-roof structure with black walls, black tiles, and accented edges lined in white. The sides of each form are built with expansive glass curtain walls, creating a long cylindrical viewing container which frames the surrounding scenery.
The beginning construction of the development occupies the southern portion of the 182,9865-square-foot site. As visitors walk through the doorway from the east, they arrive at the entrance hall that continues the dark color palette of the exterior. The extruded massing is covered by a layering of ceiling supports that force perspective down the elongated interior. As circulation continues, a service counter filters men and women into corresponding locker rooms and small hot springs that are concealed by barriers of trees and shrubs. In the main space, a pool is situated in the center as smaller water features line the perimeter for different functions that accommodate groups of all sizes.
The second floor is accessible through circulation cores for opposite sexes and a large staircase that evenly divides the plan into the restaurant and the upper lounge that faces the greenery. For added privacy, occupants may also navigate behind the kitchen where a relaxation room is hidden from diners. Up on the third floor, the roof separates the administrative functions, such as staff storage and offices, from individual meditation rooms above the pool and lockers respectively.