Sanya Wellness Retreat

The retreat sits on a resort bay of a tropical island. The China-based design team drew on the ancient walled city raised on a heavy plinth and ringed by water: timber dwellings holding the guest rooms rest on a masonry base that contains the public spaces.

Two L-shaped volumes frame a water courtyard from which the amenities spread out. The lobby is a garden under a floating lantern that filters soft light, with lowered ceilings that frame views of the sea.

Local craft runs through the project: handmade clay bricks clad the lower walls, fabrics and rugs draw on the textile arts of the island’s Li people, and soaked and pressed bamboo, woven rattan and yellow bronze add further layers. Each guest room is a timber hut holding the bathroom, with sleeping areas and sea-view balconies in the spaces between, and the corridor between rooms works like a village alley.