Text description provided by the architects. The Wuzhen Vessel Hotel stands adjacent to the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, nestled in the northwest corner of the Wuzhen Scenic Area, renowned as one of China’s last waterside dwellings. Boasting 493 rooms along with diverse dining options and fitness facilities, it is the largest hotel in the area. Embodying the concept of a Chinese barque moored in a harbor, the hotel’s design intricately weaves traditional Chinese motifs with modern materials and technologies.
The facade design artfully captures traditional Chinese scenes using contemporary elements. Parametric bamboo-finished aluminum shading louvers wind across the podium’s facade, evoking the imagery of rippling waves caressing the hull. Meanwhile, parametric grey louvers adorning the tower facade emulate the ascent of billowing sails. These features not only play with light and shadow through variations in color and depth but also create a dynamic visual effect.
A standout feature is the outdoor infinity pool, cantilevered from the “deck,” offering guests the sensation of swimming amidst the clouds above the canal and town, blurring the boundaries between water and sky. As dusk descends, the panoramic lighting scheme paints a poetic tableau reminiscent of fishing fires and lone sails casting their shadows.
The curtain walls of this project exhibit diversity and complexity. Leveraging parameterized design techniques and innovative fabrication and installation details, both the podium and towers manifest the original design vision. The tower’s typical facade comprises a dual-unit curtain wall system—combining inner glass panels with outer honeycomb-structured aluminum plate shading louvers—enhancing both construction efficiency and production accuracy. Additionally, various other curtain wall forms, such as frit pattern glass curtain walls, honeycomb-structured stone curtain walls, aluminum board curtain walls, zinc roofs, and a variety of canopies, contribute to the architectural richness of the hotel.
