The site of the five-star South West Hotel is located next to a major traffic junction of the West Fourth Ring Road and Lianhua Road in Beijing. The project is a multi-functional building complex, integrating three major programs: hotel, commerce and office. All the program units loop around a central courtyard peaking in a five-star hotel.

HENNStudioB_South West Hotel_Architectural Competition from StudioB on Vimeo.

From the distance the overall complex creates a clearly identifiable landmark. The ascending curves of the volume are a reference to the dynamics of the context. The internal courtyard shields from the noise and the hectic city life creating a retreat for guests and customers – a shared communal habitat connecting the manifold programs.
The different spatial qualities between the exterior (city) and the interior (courtyard) are reflected in the building envelope. The inner façade appears open and transparent. Horizontal bands form balconies and outdoor gardens – secluded getaways for exchange and relaxation. The outer façade is a double layered multifunctional skin. It consolidates the miscellaneous programs behind a homogenous, large scaled surface. This surface serves as the screen for media and light installations during day and night. A matrix of LED light units supplements and surrounds a central high-end LED screen displaying commercials. The low resolution media installation (LED lights) works as a visual amplifier augmenting and abstracting the commercial content over the entire building façade.

HENNStudioB_South West Hotel_Mediafacade from StudioB on Vimeo.

Client: South West Hotel
Year: 2010
Location: Beijing, China
Program: Hotel, Conference, Office, Retail
Status: Competition, 2nd Prize
Design Team: Leander Adrian, Daniel da Rocha, Martin Henn, Markus Jacobi, Daniel Kraffczyk, Klaus Ransmayr, Max Schwitalla, Rainer Sladek, Sun Wei, Wang Zhenming
Local Partner: China Academy of Building Research (CABR)
Consultants: Priedemann Fassadenberatung GmbH, Thismedia, Transsolar Energietechnik GmbH