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Juelang Mountain Retreat
Juelang Mountain Retreat
Lijiang, China
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Juelang Mountain Retreat
Lijiang, China
Lijiang has never lacked boutique guesthouses. Many adopt stylized ethnic motifs or wabi-sabi aesthetics. Our design, however, seeks to break away from this homogeneity. Rooted in Lijiang’s multicultural urban fabric, we use a “subtractive renovation” approach to redefine the vacation experience—creating a new kind of guesthouse that meets contemporary operational needs while offering a distinct and memorable identity.
Subtractive Renovation: Less for a Better Experience
Juelang Mountain Retreat is located on the eastern side of Shuhe Ancient Town, within a cluster of guesthouses. The original building was already in operation, with 19 compactly arranged guest rooms, limited public space, and a monotonous spatial experience.
We chose to deliberately “subtract”: reducing 19 rooms to 9 by merging smaller units into significantly larger ones. This fundamental move is not simply about reducing quantity, but about enhancing the size and quality of each room. More importantly, it reallocates valuable space to shared areas and the courtyard system.
Ground Floor Public Area: Re-scaling and Circulation Integration
The core strategy for the ground floor lobby renovation was to release most of the area previously occupied by guest rooms, retaining only one suite while dedicating the rest to public functions.
Faced with such an open layout, the challenge was to avoid emptiness and disorder while achieving a comfortable spatial scale. We introduced “fragmented low walls” and multi-layered spatial divisions to create zones for different user behaviors—allowing guests to coexist without interference while sharing an open atmosphere.
These partial walls go beyond conventional partitions. They frame and draw the depth of the courtyard into the interior, acting as visual mediators that blur the boundary between inside and outside. Through visual permeability and layered sightlines, the relatively limited space gains both physical openness and psychological expansiveness.
Curved forms were also introduced to maximize spatial experience, echoing the logic of the extending walls. Due to functional requirements such as adding staff rooms, the original double-height design was abandoned in favor of a “visual uplift” strategy: a continuous curved ceiling that guides the eye upward, resolving functional conflicts while enhancing vertical perception.
At the entrance, a curved low wall organizes circulation: turning left leads to the reception and lounge area, going straight leads to guest rooms, and turning right leads to the tea room. This subtle detour enhances the sense of arrival while maintaining openness, establishing order through clear spatial distribution.
Constructed with red stone strips, these feature walls redefine soft boundaries between zones—from private tea seating areas to semi-open reception spaces and fully courtyard-facing outdoor seating. Acting like a “director” of spatial narrative, the walls subtly guide movement and sightlines, creating a dynamic experience where “each step reveals a new scene.”
Guest Room Design: Reinterpreting Through Context
The guest rooms were redesigned based on existing structural and landscape conditions to create greater differentiation.
Structure-driven typology adjustments: The third floor originally included attic spaces. We preserved attic features in two rooms, transforming them into family suites, while reallocating space from two others to create more spacious single-level rooms—catering to different user preferences.
Landscape-driven upgrades: Several rooms on the third floor and one on the second floor enjoy rare views of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. For these premium rooms, we added private soaking tubs, transforming natural scenery into a defining experiential feature.
Color and Materials: Escaping Mediocrity with Low Cost
To break away from the stylistic inertia of traditional guesthouses, we chose red and green as the primary colors. This avoids the overused palette of greys and wood tones while maintaining visual harmony.
The interior and exterior feature walls use custom red semi-handcrafted stone strips. After extensive color testing, this material became a key highlight: made from semi-hand-pressed concrete with natural mineral pigments, it offers controlled costs while retaining a handcrafted texture. It can be used seamlessly indoors and outdoors. Construction does not require precise alignment—irregular lengths and natural staggering enhance the handcrafted feel, allowing the design to easily transcend visual monotony.
We believe that the best renovation design is not about chasing perfection or novelty, but about making the most appropriate choices based on site conditions, budget, and operational needs.
Starting from the goal of breaking homogeneity, this project works within constraints to meet the owner’s diverse business needs while offering guests a more comfortable and memorable stay—presenting a new possibility for guesthouse design in Lijiang.
Subtractive Renovation: Less for a Better Experience
Juelang Mountain Retreat is located on the eastern side of Shuhe Ancient Town, within a cluster of guesthouses. The original building was already in operation, with 19 compactly arranged guest rooms, limited public space, and a monotonous spatial experience.
We chose to deliberately “subtract”: reducing 19 rooms to 9 by merging smaller units into significantly larger ones. This fundamental move is not simply about reducing quantity, but about enhancing the size and quality of each room. More importantly, it reallocates valuable space to shared areas and the courtyard system.
Ground Floor Public Area: Re-scaling and Circulation Integration
The core strategy for the ground floor lobby renovation was to release most of the area previously occupied by guest rooms, retaining only one suite while dedicating the rest to public functions.
Faced with such an open layout, the challenge was to avoid emptiness and disorder while achieving a comfortable spatial scale. We introduced “fragmented low walls” and multi-layered spatial divisions to create zones for different user behaviors—allowing guests to coexist without interference while sharing an open atmosphere.
These partial walls go beyond conventional partitions. They frame and draw the depth of the courtyard into the interior, acting as visual mediators that blur the boundary between inside and outside. Through visual permeability and layered sightlines, the relatively limited space gains both physical openness and psychological expansiveness.
Curved forms were also introduced to maximize spatial experience, echoing the logic of the extending walls. Due to functional requirements such as adding staff rooms, the original double-height design was abandoned in favor of a “visual uplift” strategy: a continuous curved ceiling that guides the eye upward, resolving functional conflicts while enhancing vertical perception.
At the entrance, a curved low wall organizes circulation: turning left leads to the reception and lounge area, going straight leads to guest rooms, and turning right leads to the tea room. This subtle detour enhances the sense of arrival while maintaining openness, establishing order through clear spatial distribution.
Constructed with red stone strips, these feature walls redefine soft boundaries between zones—from private tea seating areas to semi-open reception spaces and fully courtyard-facing outdoor seating. Acting like a “director” of spatial narrative, the walls subtly guide movement and sightlines, creating a dynamic experience where “each step reveals a new scene.”
Guest Room Design: Reinterpreting Through Context
The guest rooms were redesigned based on existing structural and landscape conditions to create greater differentiation.
Structure-driven typology adjustments: The third floor originally included attic spaces. We preserved attic features in two rooms, transforming them into family suites, while reallocating space from two others to create more spacious single-level rooms—catering to different user preferences.
Landscape-driven upgrades: Several rooms on the third floor and one on the second floor enjoy rare views of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. For these premium rooms, we added private soaking tubs, transforming natural scenery into a defining experiential feature.
Color and Materials: Escaping Mediocrity with Low Cost
To break away from the stylistic inertia of traditional guesthouses, we chose red and green as the primary colors. This avoids the overused palette of greys and wood tones while maintaining visual harmony.
The interior and exterior feature walls use custom red semi-handcrafted stone strips. After extensive color testing, this material became a key highlight: made from semi-hand-pressed concrete with natural mineral pigments, it offers controlled costs while retaining a handcrafted texture. It can be used seamlessly indoors and outdoors. Construction does not require precise alignment—irregular lengths and natural staggering enhance the handcrafted feel, allowing the design to easily transcend visual monotony.
We believe that the best renovation design is not about chasing perfection or novelty, but about making the most appropriate choices based on site conditions, budget, and operational needs.
Starting from the goal of breaking homogeneity, this project works within constraints to meet the owner’s diverse business needs while offering guests a more comfortable and memorable stay—presenting a new possibility for guesthouse design in Lijiang.
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