kooo architects brings in light through translucent walls in chinese guesthouse

kooo architects was tasked with renovating a seven-story building in the old city center of guangzhou, china to transform it into a modern guesthouse ‘hotel farnear’. guangzhou’s subtropical climate with long summers and warm winters along with its abundant precipitation, makes the city flourish with vegetation year-round. the fascinating greenery scattered throughout the city encourages people to live outdoors; public activities are extended onto the streets allow everyone to take advantage of the climate and pleasant scenery throughout the city.

the architects were moved by the connection between citizens and the lush outdoors, and wanted the renovated guesthouse to bring in plenty natural light. the renovation is situated in a residential area of the city with a lively and dynamic lifestyle. the neighborhood is composed of high density of buildings, with close proximity to each other. so the designers were challenged to provide abundant natural light in the interiors, yet avoid any visual interruption or obstruction from the neighbors.

as a solution, kooo architects brought in translucent walls and light materials that scatter light throughout the spaces. the project’s essential structure is made up of a bare column grid with connecting beams. the standard floor is divided into a four-room layout. the bedrooms and the bathrooms are separated into upper and lower floors, and the double-height living room introduces a frosted channel glass façade, which acts as insulation while bringing in natural light and avoiding direct view to neighboring buildings.

to create texture and keep the lobby area open and light, one of its walls is made of 120mm long strips of sliced galvanized steel deck. natural light passes through the parallel stacked steel deck and reflects softly diffused light to welcome the guests. the soft metal, white, and light wooden color palette create a comforting atmosphere for guests as they step into the relaxing oasis in the middle of guangzhou.

project info:

architecture firm: kooo architects

project name: hotel farnear

location: nanhao st, guangzhou, china

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: cristina gomez | designboom