Arrival, landscape and privacy in hotel design | GAD

How does a hotel offer retreat without cutting itself off from the place around it?

GAD editorial interpretation · 30 September 2026 · project facts and original sources are linked below.

The Waterhouse at South Bund

The Waterhouse at South Bund retains rough surfaces while inserting hotel spaces into an existing building. Courtyards, a public restaurant and unexpected internal views make proximity part of the experience. Read the plan through public and private thresholds: a visually engaging connection still needs to be tested against the guest’s control over privacy.

Architect project record

Tsingpu Yangzhou Retreat

Tsingpu Yangzhou Retreat uses reclaimed-brick walls and paths to connect existing buildings and additions. Its sequence of courtyards offers a useful study of delayed arrival: rooms, gardens and shared spaces are encountered gradually. Draw the wall network before drawing the room blocks to understand how enclosure gives the project continuity.

Architect project record

Soori Bali

Soori Bali ties architecture and landscape to climate, rice-field drainage and local ceremonial access to the beach. The comparison shifts beyond the guest route: a resort also sits within the everyday and cultural routes of its neighbours. Distinguish what the architect documents from an operational claim; a design provision alone does not establish the resort’s long-term social outcomes.

Architect landscape and project record

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Create a threshold diagram covering guest, staff and local-community routes. Mark where views are opened or screened, where old material is retained, and who can use each outdoor space. Pair the architectural reading with an operations review before copying a spatial device into another hotel brief.

The Waterhouse at South Bund

Tsingpu Yangzhou Retreat

Soori Bali

Try this comparison

Explore the projects

The Waterhouse at South Bund

Tsingpu Yangzhou Retreat

Soori Bali