anySCALE transforms mansion in china into the wuyuan skywells hotel

anySCALE, a beijing-based architecture and design studio, has turned a 300-year-old mansion in china’s jiangxi province into a high-end boutique hotel. the name of the ‘wuyuan skywells hotel’ refers to a regional architectural feature — known as tian jing — where narrow courtyards allow daylight into adjacent rooms. the project’s clients, an english and chinese couple, purchased the property and sought to preserve the building’s qualities as much as possible.

all images by marc goodwin / archmospheres

working closely with the clients, anySCALE wanted to recreate the sense of grandeur and elegance previously associated with the site and the mansion. the wuyuan skywells hotel seeks to provide comfortable accommodation for both vacationers those looking to escape city life for a few days. with a focus on preservation rather than renovation, the building’s traditional elements were either kept intact or restored with extreme care.

the entrance to the boutique hotel

since large parts of the building’s existing timber frame were destroyed, one of the project’s challenges was to restore it, without damaging its historic appearance. to achieve this, the design team joined forces with a talented local artisan who also created carvings to replace those that had been lost over the years. as adding windows to the hotel rooms would change the building’s external appearance, the architects introduced latticed panels on walls facing the skywells.

the reception area includes many of the building’s original features

internally, 14 rooms and suites are finished with a combination of neutral tones, interspersed with bright accent colors. meanwhile, brick and clay walls, which help keep the structure cool during hot summers, have been restored and rebuilt according to local traditions. original elements in public areas were retained, while more private spaces feature contemporary fittings and modern-day amenities.

the hotel includes 14 rooms and suites