Winner: Hospitality project of the year 2024. Line+ Studio has developed the Ji Yun Yao Resort, a rural luxury resort hotel project in Guangzhou, China.

Ji Yun Yao Resort is located in Yaoshan Village, Conghua District, Guangzhou, a traditional village preserving natural landscapes and Hakka culture.

The ancient Yao Mountain village, founded by Yao ancestors over 300 years ago, has seen its residents gradually move downhill due to changing times and inconvenient transportation, leaving behind abandoned houses.

Leveraging the superior natural landscape, the owner aimed to establish a luxury resort targeted at the Greater Bay Area clientele.

The design strategy, based on the analysis of terraced landforms and the permeation of Hakka culture, involves reconstructing the settlement by renovating and rebuilding existing structures.

"The aim [was] to revive the original village using modern profiles combined with local rammed earth materials," said Line+ Studio.

18 guest rooms adopt both sloping and steep roofs, arranged organically according to landscape orientation and terrain conditions, interconnected by variously scaled landscape platforms, creating a unique travel experience amid valleys, dense forests, rivers and terraces.

Studio: Line+ Studio
Project: Guangzhou Ji Yun Yao Resort
Credits: Guangzhou Tianyu Culture Travel Limited Company