Boutique Hotel Far & Near XinYuqingli Opens in Guangzhou

kooo architects has transformed a four-storey concrete building into hotel brand Far & Near’s second location, an industrial, minimalist boutique hotel geared towards design-savvy young travellers. We spoke with architect Hongdi Lin to find out more

Suzy Annetta: What’s great about the neighbourhood?

Hongdi Lin: The old town has lots of texture and colour, and is full of history.

What makes the location unique?

It’s located in the centre of Guangzhou’s old town, which makes it different from a typical commercial area.

What unique features does the building have?

Since the site is close to surrounding buildings, its shape is rather unusual and gave us a chance to create a unique layout. The form of the building is also quite distinctive.

What was your design concept for the hotel?

In order to echo the town’s traditional residences, we intentionally kept original grey bricks on the existing facade. Additionally, we adjusted the size of windows and doors to let in more light and maximise views onto the streets outside.

The existing beams and columns are simple and clean. We wanted to preserve the beauty of these existing concrete structures, so we incorporated them into the interior design by leaving them exposed. The guest rooms are furnished with basswood plywood, and we chose meranti plywood to contrast the exposed concrete in the public area. We designed it this way to maintain the industrial aesthetic of the original architecture, and to work within the relatively low budget.

Why did you select plywood?

We chose basswood plywood as the primary interior material because it makes the spaces warm and cosy without detracting from the beauty of original structure.

What kind of traveller do you think this hotel will appeal to most?

Those who love the charm of the old town and admire the contrast between old and new minimalist designs.

What can guests expect from the room?

Although the hotel is pretty small, we’ve designed different types of rooms. Of the 11 rooms available, there’s the capsule or single room, deluxe double room and loft with its own courtyard.

As told to / Suzy Annetta 
Images / Keishin Horikoshi /SS