ADES 108
ACTIVITY 2.2
THE HOTEL PLAN:
Sound Lay-out that Works
LE MERIDIEN, ZHANGZHOU
Architects: Neri&Hu Design and Research Office
Area : 43000 m²
Year : 2013
In their design for Le Meridien hotel, Shanghai-
based firm Neri&Hu envisions a new landmark for
Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan province. Henan,
once the ancient political, economic and cultural
center of China and home to many Emperors, today
welcomes the international traveler. To showcase
Henan’s history through its Arts (of Literature,
Nature, Food, Theater, and Pattern) the architects
conceived of the building as an "archive" of new
and old artifacts that becomes a point of discovery
for residents and travelers alike.
Externally the archives are
expressed as cantilevered stacked
boxes, each carefully composed
with subtle ins and outs to break
down the bulky proportions of the
original structure, while offering a
dynamic visual counterpoint to the
neighboring buildings. To
differentiate the volumes the glass
front of the each box is a slightly
different tint of green and the
negative space between boxes is
clear glass. The sides of the boxes
are clad in black and coffee
colored metal panels textured with
perforations patterned after the
local Henan wild rose. Two
floating canopies supported by a
cluster of bronze poles leads the
visitor to the main entrance.
The 25-storey building consists of a 5-storey
podium of public functions and a tower of
350 private guestrooms.
The architectural expression of excavation
and carving is most strongly experienced in
the various openings surrounding the central
atrium that visually connect the public
spaces across multiple floors.
Skylights above pierce the space with shafts
of natural light that highlight the
sedimentary pattern on the grey sandstone
clad walls. Green tinted windows and an
extensive custom designed chandelier
installation fill the high space with a
diffusion of light and color.
Close to the highest point of the chamber, the cavern is addressed by
a more fragile enunciation of dull wood boxes which crease down
onto the dividers. These wood boxes are a repetitive compositional
element, a filigree of natural gentility compared against the weighty
stone. In the Pre-work region the whole roof and divider is
overwhelmed by the collapsing waffle boxes organized sporadically
however unbendingly at a similar tallness. Certain containers become
windows looking across the chamber space, and in the Spa a couple
of boxes become inset mirrors.
FORM
What I like about the building
is the box type, its like a
different types of shoe box, na
pinagpatong-patong po sa
isang building, and sobrang
amazed po ako dun sa panel
glass, and nagbabago po sya
ng kulay pag sa gabi.
Yung Nakita ko po , I
was like, this is my
type, this is my color,
this is how I want to be
apply on my hotel, it
gives me vibrancy and
luxuriosness
I know that the design is
simple, but you know, its
elegant, its already giving
me a 5 star feels,
and the interesting part of the
hotel, is yung pong culture and
history eh inaapply pa rin po nila
dun sa hotel, and my goal is
parang ganun din po, like the
modern design is applied but the
old furni and old culture was still
there.
ACCOMODATION
Yung sa floor plan naman po, yung nagustuhan
ko po ditto, yung needs ng guest eh all-in na
po,and I think that is the most important thing in
5 star hotel, not just luxury, but also the service
for the guest.
And this is the second floor plan, for me,
its like a businessman’s area, cause
there’s a lot of meeting rooms, and
function rooms and restaurant, which is
good for a hotel, once a businessman
visits the hotel, and like the
accommodation, businessmans start goin
to the hotel, its like a domino effect.
GYM, AEROBICS, SPA AND RUNNING TRACKS
BALLROOM HALL, BRIDAL ROOM.
This plan, was the most well planned guest
room I ever see, the only thing is, there is no
balcony, but overall, all good.
HOTELS is not about being fancy, is about being an
environmental friendly too. I really love gardens, so
im pretty amazed when they put like a zen garden,
it gives me life when I see something like this.
Things I want to apply on my hotel based on the Hotel I choose is:
The history and cultures
The ARCHIVE of New and old Artifacts
Glass Panels
Gardens
Light and dark colors of the guest room that balance the color of the hotel
Accesibility
Environnmental Friendly
Safety
