A unique aspect of the property was the internal timber frame, ornately carved in public areas. Since large parts of the frame had been destroyed due to severe neglect, the team searched for and engaged the services of Yuzong, a talented local artisan with the requisite skill and experience. In addition to basic restoration, he also rendered replacements for irrecoverable decorative carvings as per traditional and his own adapted designs. His replacement carvings for the main beam in the entrance area are particularly significant as they employ motifs inspired by the clients’ background and story. In this way, the cultural aspects of the property were not only given a facelift but were also upgraded to reflect a new chapter in the building’s legacy.
Though the building features skywells, the rooms and suites themselves do not feature generous windows. To avoid polluting the external appearance and original architecture, the team introduced latticed panels on walls facing the skywells, and high-quality artificial lighting. Brick and clay walls were restored and rebuilt according to local tradition and keep the structure cool during hot summers. In terms of energy use, the hotel has a better level of thermal insulation and waste water management than the local standard.
“This project was an almost unanimous winner with the judges who were impressed by the ‘lightness of touch’ of the modern interventions introduced into the 300-year-old historic building to provide a modicum of 21st century comfort necessary in the transformation of the building for hospitality use. With interiors sensitively renovated with Zen-like charm and simplicity, and maintaining the grandeur, elegance and beauty of the original wood and stone features, the historic narrative of the building lives on with its new custodians preserving the past for generations to come.” LEAF Award Jury
Description of project by anySCALE
The Wuyuan Skywells’ finished form strikes a sophisticated balance between Chinese heritage and modern comfort. The team respectfully restored the 300-year-old mansion, neglected for decades, to its former glory.
The team approached restoration not only with the intent of creating a high-end boutique hotel experience, but that of invigorating the essence of the building, and upgrading it while honoring its spirit and history.
Heritage architectural features such as the Tian Jing (Skywells) that let in light into the inner courtyards, the timber frame, and elaborate wooden carvings in courtyards were either painstakingly renovated, or fully recreated with the help of meticulously-sourced local craftsmen.
The contemporary interiors of the 14 suites ensconced within the early Qing era design lend the property a subtle contrast with traditional Huizhou-style design in public areas, inspiring awe in guests’ minds.
Elegant, luxurious, and wholly authentic, the edifice integrates tastefully with its physical context- the millennium old Yan village in Eastern China- all while retaining a striking presence.
