Rong Design imagined the interiors of Grand Dongshan, a resort hotel located in Shangyu, Shaoxing, China. From the outset, Rong Design engaged closely with Roaming Dongshan to refine the hotel’s positioning, operational logic, and brand identity, ensuring a shared vision.
To establish the hotel as a one-of-a-kind destination resort, Rong Design and the hotel team delved into market dynamics, customer demographics, and a profound exploration of the local cultural context.
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- Photo credit: ENV Studio & Grand Dongshan
Addressing the spiritual and cultural aspirations of the hotel’s target clientele, the design team faced a critical challenge: how to honor the building’s original form while striking a harmonious balance between local cultural heritage and modern aesthetics, all within the constraints of time.
The design explores the connection between people, objects, space, and the environment, blending architecture, interiors, and outdoor scenes. It highlights how boundaries can become mediums that unify these elements.
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- Photo credit: ENV Studio & Grand Dongshan
The public areas, particularly the hotel lobby, draw inspiration from the symmetry of classical Chinese garden courtyards. Facing the tranquil lake, the lobby bar is framed by a soaring atrium, amplifying a sense of openness and dramatic tension that aligns with architectural facades.
Balancing enclosure with openness, the design meets both functional and aesthetic needs. The architectural layout extends into a north-south symmetry, with the southern area accommodating a lively bar and the northern area dedicated to a afternoon tea lounge. This spatial arrangement fosters a tranquil and welcoming ambiance.
Natural light acts as a vital medium connecting the interior and exterior. Mottled sunlight streams through grille-pattern glass and wooden windows, portraying a picture of vitality.
In the central lobby area, floral arrangements displaying the four seasons take center stage. Modular blocks are seamlessly integrated, interpenetrated, separated, and layered, transforming fragmented spaces into a cohesive whole. Paired with orderly arrays of cubic lights, these elements unify the interior and exterior environments, inviting guests to immerse themselves in the beauty of the surrounding mountain and lake scenery.
The Chinese restaurant employs translucent and partially see-through elements to evoke a sense of fluidity and spatial layering, reminiscent of a meandering garden with winding paths and unfolding vistas.
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- Photo credit: ENV Studio & Grand Dongshan
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The guest rooms, facing the lake, continue the simplicity of the public areas. Embroidered wall paintings inspired by ancient local official attire imbue the space with an understated artistic charm. Elegant wooden accents echo the natural poetry of Dongshan, creating a sanctuary of tranquil leisure amidst the mountain landscape.
The geometric harmony of triangles and circles, combined with modular relationships, unfolds through the interplay of points and lines, a palette of calm tones, minimalist forms, refined details, and natural materials—bamboo, rattan, wood, and leather. This creates a cohesive order of objects and furniture systems while reflecting the design team’s nuanced exploration and reinterpretation of traditional cultural heritage.
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- Photo credit: ENV Studio & Grand Dongshan
“Lines” represent fixed furniture pieces, deconstructed and reimagined to fulfill both aesthetic and functional roles. Screens, couches, racks, and lamps merge in a linear arrangement, allowing the space to grow organically.
Simple furnishings, along with timeless artifacts, create a contrast of contemporary aesthetics and ancient Oriental elegance. As light and shadow delicately sweep through, the unadorned space embraces the authenticity of life, exuding subtle warmth and understated elegance.
The design blends architecture, interior, and exterior spaces, creating a harmonious connection between furniture, objects, and people. It combines modern aesthetics with timeless cultural heritage, fostering a space that is both elegant and human-focused.
Read other showcase projects:
Thai Café Experience Blending Nature, Culture, and Design
Sculptural Sintered Stone Showroom in Shanghai
