Preface: Romanticism
What is Romanticism? It is a fundamental artistic approach that emphasizes creativity rooted in the inner world, expressing a passionate pursuit beyond mere rationality. Similarly, travelers choosing vacation hotels long for poetry and distant landscapes. When visiting Dali, one cannot miss the breathtaking views of Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake. The aesthetic of Ordinary Design’s space is inspired by intuition and the unique character of Dali, striving to infuse the vacation environment with imagination and heartfelt passion.
▲ Main facade of the hotel
Located on the southern mountainside of Erhai Lake in Dali, the project offers panoramic views of both Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake, along with the cityscape of Dali. Here, the sky, sea, mountains, and city converge, providing a comprehensive and stunning landscape experience.
01 · Drunken Beauty Coast
The winding coastline of Erhai Lake resembles the sheet music of a romantic song. Chasing the interplay of light and shadows between mountains and sea along this coastline is one of the best experiences for visitors to Dali. The design integrates the natural relationship between mountain and sea, using curved forms inspired by the coastline to harmonize the buildings with their environment, creating a relaxed and leisurely vacation atmosphere.
02 · Pebble Restaurant
If the overall architecture is a miniature representation of the earth’s textures, then the restaurant and courtyard on the first floor magnify the small-scale landscape of pebbles on the shore. By abstracting and scaling natural forms, the space generates a unique sense of tension and sensory engagement.
▲ Entrance foyer
The restaurant’s entrance foyer resembles a giant cut-open pebble, creating a strong sense of enclosure as guests pass through. Its interior is finished with dark automotive paint, giving it a nearly mirror-like surface. Here, light and courtyard views converge, offering visitors an immediate and intimate dialogue between body and space.
The transparent, softly curved floor-to-ceiling glass flows through the space, making the restaurant feel like gentle waves caressing pebbles. This design creates an organic and elegant atmosphere, blurring the boundaries between inside and outside, seamlessly integrating the indoor and outdoor environments.
▲ Pebble Restaurant
▲ Pebble Restaurant
The white structures resemble pebbles, arranged staggeredly throughout the courtyard and interior spaces. They define the flow and function of the space while concealing the building’s structural columns. These unconventional “pebbles” become the main feature of the space, telling the story of a seaside house—hence the name “Pebble Restaurant”.
▲ Guest room entrance foyer
The staircase and guest room entrance foyer are crafted from snowflake white marble, which, under the combined effect of natural and artificial light, reveals a warm and peaceful beige tone. This design softly transitions and harmonizes the different spatial experiences between dining and living areas.
03 · Emotional Rooms: Diverse Expressions of Mountain and Sea Scenery
The guest rooms are the core of the hotel’s quality, sharing common features such as layout size and hardware configuration to ensure vacation comfort. Each room offers exceptional garden or courtyard views, allowing guests to enjoy a relaxing stay without leaving their rooms. Ordinary Design aims to highlight the unique personality and spatial emotion of each room, tailoring different layouts to meet the diverse needs of travelers.
Sandstone Red – Romantic Residence
Sandstone red, reminiscent of desert brown rock and sandstone, is simple and warm, evoking a unique romantic style. Arched French windows gently open to natural landscapes and outdoor courtyards, inviting the first breeze to signal the start of a warm holiday.
Ink Flow – Mirror World
The ancient wood grain marble features a natural, calm texture reminiscent of flowing ink. Its smooth surface reflects surrounding light and scenery, creating a profound spatial experience. The square window maximizes the expansive sea views, perfectly capturing the essence and emotions of the journey.
Sky Blue – Underwater Suite
The top floor rooftop suite, including the living room, dining room, bedroom, glass swimming pool, and landscaped rooftop, creates a vacation space closest to the sky. Sunlight refracting through the swimming pool casts mottled light and shadows into the guest room, evoking the sensation of being underwater. This suite serves as the final chapter of the romantic narrative and the beginning of a deeper understanding of Dali.
04 · Original Appearance and Renovation Process
▲ Before renovation
▲ After renovation
Project Drawings
▲ First floor plan © USUAL Studio
▲ Second floor plan © USUAL Studio
▲ Third floor plan © USUAL Studio
▲ Fourth floor plan © USUAL Studio
▲ Roof plan © USUAL Studio
Project Information
Project Name: “Breath of the Sea” Renovation Design of Dali Green Half Mountain Hotel
Location: Dali, Yunnan
Timeline: 2020 (design), 2021 (completion)
Design Company: USUAL Studio, Ordinary Design
Scope: Architectural, landscape, and interior design
Lead Architects: Lin Jingrui, Wang Kunhui
Design Team: Lin Jingrui, Wang Kunhui, Warm, Laura Canto López, David Qiu, Wu Hailun, Wu Zhiyuan, Shen Minghui (intern), Hu Miaomiao (intern)
Photography: Additional Photography
Main Materials: Gradient paint, automotive paint, tempered glass, wood veneer, acrylic, marble, white exterior wall coating
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