Lost Villa Boutique Hotel / DAS Lab

Architects: DAS Lab
Area: 2000 m²
Year: 2019
Photographs: Shengliang Su
Principal Designer: Jingze Li
Design Team: Janet, Guo Xiang, Jinjin Duan, Zhangyu Lu
Owner: Ningxia Zhongwei Lost Villa Hotel Management Ltd.
City: Zhongwei
Country: China

The Dawan Village Hotel project, designed by DAS Lab, is located along the Yellow River and integrates architecture with nature. The design emphasizes blending buildings into the environment rather than creating a prominent landmark. The hotel features 15 unique rooms with views of the river or forest. Drawing inspiration from local houses, the design includes flat houses, terraces, and courtyards. Special cement mortar treatment mimics local rammed earth walls, creating an aged appearance over time. Large windows face the landscape, while other facades have limited openings to withstand harsh winter temperatures. Light and shadow play a vital role in the interior, enhancing the space’s spiritual quality. The parent-child room includes a mezzanine designed for children’s play and family functionality.

For over 200 years, the Yellow River has been the cradle of Dawan Village, witnessing its cultural development. Historically a frontier city and a passage connecting the culture and economy of the Serindia area, Dawan Village offers a unique landscape where the Yellow River meets the desert.

Situated on the riverbank, the project avoids creating an ambitious landmark. Instead, it aims to integrate into nature, balancing architecture and the environment with humility. The hotel consists of 15 rooms, each with distinct characteristics and views of the river or the fruit-bearing forest. DAS Lab experiments with various models, scales, and materials to redefine the relationship between humans and nature.

The hotel design borrows elements from local houses, including flat structures, terraces, courtyards, and reed-topped eaves galleries to encourage outdoor activities.

The exterior walls use a special cement mortar treatment to replicate the texture of local rammed earth walls, allowing the buildings to age beautifully with exposure to the elements.

Located at the coordinates east longitude 105.19 and north latitude 37.50, Dawan Village experiences winter temperatures as low as -20°C (-4°F). To address this, the design features large floor-to-ceiling windows on the landscape side, while other facades have limited openings. This approach reexamines the relationship between windows, light, space, and human interaction, leading to a scenarized expression of spatial consciousness.

Light plays a crucial role in the interior, where shadows reveal themselves as all decorations and colors are subdued. The changing light and shadows create a symphony on the walls and floors, enhancing the spirituality of the space and evoking strong emotional responses.

The design includes a parent-child room that balances play space for children with functionality for the entire family. A special mezzanine space is created for children, providing a playful area that may feel too small for adults but is perfect for young ones.