Header: RK CHEN
ANTO MACY HOTEL is a high-altitude hotel in the Fujian Province of China designed by WVD, with Zhihong Fang as lead designer, that has recently been one of the prestigious winners of the BLT Built Design Awards. The vision for this hospitality project was simple: allow guests to breathe while slowing down in a mountainous city.
Inspiration from the past
The studio focused on specific references to come up with the hotel’s design: Mu Xin’s “Slow in the Past”, elements of Tulou architecture, strands of Southeast Asian historical culture, and the designer’s own childhood memories. In a post-thought, the team framed their inspiration as a base, not as an element to copy, so entering the hotel doesn’t feel like a step into the past. Instead of adding obvious heritage motifs, the hotel uses those references as a way to steer the mood, the shapes and the materials while ensuring they always keep a contemporary style.
Room by room
This idea of borrowing elements from the past starts to be noticeable on the way to the hotel, as guests must take a longer route to reach an almost hidden entrance. This detail is intentional, as it creates a barrier between the busy streets surrounding the hotel and the haven within, which is finally presented to guests when they step into the lobby.
Once inside, guests quickly notice the materials: earthy, rammed-earth-like textures, aged brick and copper surfaces that look mottled and slightly rusted, so they catch light in an uneven way. Lighting complements these by being low and warm, with an amber tone and a firelight feel rather than anything bright or white.
Against all those strong tones, the designers decided to play with textures, having added a unique spiral staircase. Described as a “black pearl” form, it acts as a smoother, more polished object sitting inside the earthier spaces. The overall effect references the mix of past and modernity seen throughout the design: tactile, worn surfaces next to luxurious, finished forms.
The planning of the public areas follows the same approach. The reception is intentionally played down, with an island check-in desk wrapped by staggered curved light walls and near a lounge/bar zone. A “book bar” links the café and the registration area, bringing some relaxation to the “checking-in and out” process by making the lobby feel like a shared social space.
The restaurant’s interior takes cues from Tulou alleyways (“巷陌”), but, in true fashion with the rest of the hotel, gives the inspiration a twist. The designers broke the space into small, lane-like sections and used contrasting materials to move between local textures and a more urban look.
The guestrooms are simpler and quieter than the lobby spaces, but they don’t change style, retaining the same lighting and materials. They lean on daylight, and the views are treated as part of the room, with windows set up to frame the city, the river and the mountains.
Project Information
Design Company: WVD
Lead Designer: ZHIHONG FANG
Project Location: Xinluo District, Longyan City, Fujian Province, China
Project Date: September, 2024
