VILLA in Xitang Ancient Town

The project is located in an ancient water town in Jiangnan Region (Southern China), embracing local characteristic cultural context. Accompanied by the Naera Hotel and an organic ecological village, and based on the rich culture and multiple commercial operations on the site, it creates a diversified living scene and vacation experience that conform to the contemporary trend, and establishes an aesthetic dialogue among living space, art, landscape and nature.The buildings around the site adopt the spatial pattern of “vertical courtyard”. In response to these main buildings, the project outlines a three-dimensional space with Jiangnan features, which balances modern and ancient elements and meets both living and socializing needs. The “emptiness” between buildings is settled through gardening techniques. Surrounded by plants, irregularly-cut stones pave a winding pathway at the outdoor area, echoing the pavilion and building on the site.The overlapping and staggered design expressions extend the linear and fluid setting, eliminating rigid visual separation. The reception area leverages the design concept “pavilion” for spatial planning and functional attributes. The two “pavilions” are like two boxes that overlap each other. The three sides of the external “pavilion” provide a view to the outside, which ensures the visual openness, with rich circulation routes around. At the center of the external “pavilion” stands an internal “pavilion”. A shallow “pool” is carved and set at the bottom of the internal “pavilion”, with ripples and reflection on the water surface.