Haikou Bay Hotel | Winner Designs
Haikou Bay Hotel by Shihi Chou

Haikou Bay Hotel

Golden A' Design Award Winner 2021

Positioned at the intersection of contemporary parametric design and the enduring human desire to create harmony between built environment and natural landscape, this architectural visualization represents a compelling meditation on organic form within coastal contexts. The work demonstrates remarkable sophistication in its resolution of complex programmatic requirements through biomorphic architectural language, where the undulating forms appear to have emerged naturally from the topography rather than being imposed upon it. The horizontal articulation of the facades suggests careful environmental consideration, with what appears to be integrated shading systems that would modulate tropical sunlight while maintaining visual connectivity to the surrounding seascape. The compositional strategy positions the resort as a mediating element between the dense urban fabric visible in the atmospheric distance and the pristine natural bay, suggesting an architecture of transition and threshold. The integration of verdant roof elements and the careful preservation of existing palm vegetation speaks to contemporary concerns with ecological sensitivity and the creation of microhabitats within developed landscapes. One observes particularly accomplished passages in the rendering of water, where the cerulean depths of the bay contrast with the lighter aquamarine of the swimming pools, creating a chromatic dialogue that extends the maritime theme throughout the composition. The sweeping promenade that traces the shoreline invites contemplation of the phenomenological experience of moving through such spaces, where the boundary between resort and beach dissolves into a continuous landscape of leisure and natural beauty. How might such architectural forms reshape our understanding of hospitality as an act of environmental stewardship rather than mere accommodation?

This impressive "dynamic with the flow" and iconic landmark hotel allows urban view porosities to embrace both city and ocean. Spiral and the sloping urban roof garden of the hotel's ballroom promotes urban pedestrians' access and various activities. Almost 300m long building is cut into segments to bring down the overwhelming street scale and avoid "the wall effect". Single loaded corridor and S shape building is designed to allow maximum building envelope for all rooms having ocean view, which also satisfies the challenging 50m building height limit.