In 2010 we were approached by a South African hotelier who wanted to build an African nature resort in the countryside south of Shanghai, Hangzhou, Mount Mogan. It sounded great in theory, but practically, we were flummoxed. How would we be able to capture something so local and specific in such a wildly different location?
The first step was finding common ground – materials, textures, handicrafts, colours. The interior is an experiment in blending cultures to create a resort space that feels both luxurious and close to nature.
Completed in October of 2015, the resort is a two hour drive from Shanghai, and boasts 120 rooms, two separate restaurants, and a conference room. We used a contemporary lens and natural materials throughout the plan that resulted in a one-of-a-kind getaway that speaks a modern design language in any context.
It was a groundbreaking project in terms of how both Chinese and Western tourists alike viewed vacationing in rural China.Naked Stables is a countryside destination where guests experience local lifestyle, culture, and stunning bamboo hills, in sophisticated comfort. Time has only enhanced this, as the environment evolves and nature embeds the project more deeply into its terrain.
Naked Stables was our first project outside an urban setting, and it challenged our boundaries of thinking about design. Paired with the experience of working with pre-industrial materials, local craftsmen, and on a rural site, it has become an important example for our studio of what creativity and design can do.
