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Z’scape adds grassy amphitheatre and wild garden to hotel in rural China
CategoriesArchitecture

Z’scape adds grassy amphitheatre and wild garden to hotel in rural China

By Zarkon Group,

A winding wooden path leads to a natural amphitheatre created by rippling mounds of grass at this garden in Lijiang, China, which was designed by landscape studio Z’scape and has been shortlisted for the Dezeen Awards 2022.

Located at the Linjiang Hilla Vintage Hotel complex, the Wilderness Garden and Amphitheatre extends an existing landscape designed by the Beijing-based practice last year.

Path leading to grassy amphitheatre in Lijiang
Z’scape added a winding path and a natural amphitheatre to the site in Lijiang

The new additions have been shortlisted in the landscape project category of Dezeen Awards 2022.

For the new area of wild grassland, Z’scape worked with a botanist and local villages to find native plant varieties that would naturally thrive without needing any maintenance or irrigation, introducing greater biodiversity to the site.

Amphitheatre and wild garden in China by Z'scape
A raised boardwalk allows animals and insects to move freely around the landscape

A wooden boardwalk, raised 60 centimetres to allow animals and insects to move underneath, cuts through this wild garden, with an elevated platform providing a lookout.

Areas of open grass, large rocks and two small wildlife ponds are interspersed throughout the garden and were also designed to help minimise the risk of wildfires spreading.

Benches in grassy amphitheatre by Z'scape in China
The amphitheatre is formed by mounds of grass in a sunken region of the site

“Providing a critical habitat that offers rich nutritional value and shelter, Wilderness Garden is a haven for wildlife,” said the practice.

“To strike a compelling dialogue, a zigzag boardwalk weaves its way through the grassland to give visitors an extraordinary experience with dramatic and intimate overlooks,” it continued.

The wooden boardwalk leads to the new amphitheatre at the north of the site, making use of an existing sunken area in the landscape’s topography and defining it with concentric ridges that overlook a central performance lawn.

Recycled timber has been used to create simple benches that follow the contours of the amphitheatre’s ridges and are dotted with works by local sculptors.

As well as a space to watch performances, the amphitheatre looks out across a dramatic landscape, including the UNESCO heritage site of Baisha and Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.

Amphitheatre by Z'scape in Chinese landscape with views of mountains
Long benches in the amphitheatre offer spaces for children to play

“Natural play opportunities are embedded in the landform, where children can run, climb, jump, dance or roll,” said the practice.

“A series of long benches offer historic views to the snow mountain and the best views of the central performance lawn,” it continued.

Aerial view of amphitheatre by Z'scape with curved benches covered with snow
Long recycled timber benches wrap around the circular feature

The original landscape design incorporated the remains of an abandoned village built by the Naxi people, and every year a traditional torch festival creates an “immersive and interactive environment” for celebrating Naxi culture and craft.

Z’scape was founded by Zhou Liangjun and Zhou Ting, and has a particular focus on landscaping projects for cultural tourism projects, boutique hotels, urban spaces and residential developments.

Other projects that join the Wilderness Garden and Amphitheatre on the landscape project shortlist of Dezeen awards 2022 include a rural farm in Iran co-designed with local communities, and Heatherwick Studio’s Little Island in Manhattan.

The photography is by Holi Landscape Photography.

Reference

This week we revealed Wild Wonder as 2023’s Colour of the Year
CategoriesInterior Design

This week we revealed Wild Wonder as 2023’s Colour of the Year

By Zarkon Group,
Colour of the Year interior

This week on Dezeen, the Colour of the Year 2023 –  a pale yellow that is described as “a soft gold with hints of green” – was announced.

To mark the announcement by paint company Dulux, we created a lookbook that showcases interiors that have used the pale yellow hue.

Revamp of Venturi Scott Brown's National Gallery
Selldorf Architects has proposed a redesign of the Sainsbury Wing

This week, architects, critics and academics raised concerns about the plans to remodel Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown’s postmodern Sainsbury Wing at the National Gallery in London. They described the plans, which have been drawn up by Selldorf Architects, as an “act of vandalism”.

In an opinion piece for Dezeen, Catherine Slessor wrote that “history now seems to be repeating itself at the Sainsbury Wing”.

Atomik Architecture staff who are balloting to strike
Workers at Atomik Architecture are balloting to strike

Also in London, staff at architecture studio Atomik Architecture announced a “historic strike ballot”.

Workers at the studio notified their employers that they were initiating a strike ballot to demand improvements to both their pay and working conditions.

Lightyear 0 solar-powered car silhouetted against a black backdrop
Lightyear developed “the world’s first production-ready solar car”

Continuing our Solar Revolution series we interviewed Emanuele Cornagliotti, who is the lead solar engineer at car company Lightyear, which developed “the world’s first production-ready solar car”.

Solar cars will be “normal within 20 years,” he told Dezeen.

King Charles III on architecture
No 1 Poultry was the result of a King Charles intervention

Following King Charles III becoming Britain’s new monarch, we took a look back at his impact on architecture while he was the Prince of Wales.

In his previous role, Charles exerted significant influence on the built environment through campaigning, building traditional towns and torpedoing modernist projects.

Dezeen Awards 2022 public vote
Dezeen Awards 2022 public vote opened this week

This week we opened the Dezeen Awards 2022 public vote to allow readers to pick their favourite projects and studios. Readers can now vote for the best projects shortlisted in the architecture, interiors and design categories, as well as our media and sustainability categories.

Voting closes on 10 October with winning projects receiving a special Dezeen Awards 2022 public vote certificate.

PMA madhushala wraps Indian home in perforated wall of brick and stone
Indian studio PMA Madhushala designed a brick and stone house

Popular projects this week include an Indian home wrapped in a perforated wall of brick and stone, a hotel resembling an upside-down village in the Alps and a rammed-earth retreat in São Paulo.

This week’s lookbooks showcased eateries that showcase the potential of terrazzo and kitchens with polished granite surfaces.

This week on Dezeen

This week on Dezeen is our regular roundup of the week’s top news stories. Subscribe to our newsletters to be sure you don’t miss anything.

Reference

Wild Wonder named Dulux Colour of the Year 2023
CategoriesInterior Design

Wild Wonder named Dulux Colour of the Year 2023

By Zarkon Group,

Paint brand Dulux has revealed Wild Wonder, a pale yellow paint colour that it described as “a soft gold with hints of green” as its Colour of the Year for 2023.

Wild Wonder was selected for its close association with nature. The brand said this echoes the global shift toward sustainability, reconnecting with the outdoors and wanting to be more grounded, particularly following the recent period of uncertainty.

A bedroom interior with one golden wall
Wild Wonder is a golden green paint colour

“Our relationship with the natural world feels more precious and precarious than ever,” said Dulux UK.

“Wild Wonder is a soft gold with hints of green inspired by fresh seed pods and harvest grain,” the brand added.

A pink and yellow wall in a cafe
The colour was selected for its association with nature

As well as its affiliation with nature and raw materials, Wild Wonder is also intended to capture the collective quest for better mental health, which has become increasingly important in light of global events such as the climate crisis and coronavirus lockdowns.

“As people search for support, connection, inspiration and balance in the world today, they’re diving into the wonders of the natural world to find it,” said the brand.

“Wild Wonder is a positive, natural tone that, by connecting us with the natural world, can help us feel better in our homes,” it continued.

“As well as understanding the value of nature more keenly, with climate change becoming a reality for all of us, we also feel the urgency of reconnecting with nature and the necessity of working with rather than against it.”

According to the brand, the colour can be used to add colour to areas in the house, such as living rooms, that require warmth and light. The brand also said that the hue is suitable for commercial spaces across all sectors including schools and hospitals.

“Wild Wonder and four complementary, versatile colour palettes can be used to create stunning spaces across all sectors,” explained Dulux.

Wild Wonder Colour of The Year by Dulux
The paint colour is suitable for all commercial sectors as well as residential interiors

Dulux’s parent company AkzoNobel decided on the shade, which is the 20th colour to be chosen as a Dulux Colour of the Year, after a three-day workshop with a panel of industry experts from across the globe and months of researching with the paint company.

Wild Wonder is a slightly more upbeat hue than Brave Ground, an earthy beige that Dulux selected as its colour of the year for 2021 against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic.

The colour is a marked change from last year’s sky blue colour Bright Skies, which the brand said captured collective desires for a fresh start.

The images are courtesy of Dulux.

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