Chengde Sen Zhi Valley Hot Spring Center: A Sanctuary of Healing and Natural Experience
The project is located in the valley of Hetian, north of Chengde, which is the original forest environment. It experienced a huge volcanic eruption thousands of years ago, so it now has natural hot spring resources.
▼Project Overview
Hot springs have existed in the past, but most are served by local people. To provide a place for busy, fast-paced city dwellers to completely relax, combined with hot springs and plants, creating a unique hot spring healing experience that is different from the existing ones in the local area. We walked through the entire valley, climbed up to observe, and finally chose the turning point location deep in the valley. It was surrounded by mountains, facing the water, which was a natural quiet place.
▼Site Plan
▼Building faces the water, is a natural quiet place
Design Concept
During the exploration and walking, some places in the valley were bright, and some suddenly darkened. The temperature also fluctuated in the mountain waist. Sometimes you could hear the sound of a clear stream, and sometimes you could hear birds singing... the changes in the natural atmosphere were very rich. We planned to incorporate this free and open space experience of walking in the forest. This is the concept of ‘Forest Valley’.
▼Concept Sketch
▼Roof Bird’s Eye View
▼Night View, you can perceive the internal space through the transparent roof
The design combines the hot spring and plant main functional spaces, using a tall, vertical solid tower and a horizontal transparent glass box space combination form to respond to the mountains extending in a long way, while creating a rich space variation in the valley.
▼Section View
▼Tall Vertical Solid Tower and Horizontal Transparent Glass Box Combination
▼Building Facade
▼Night View
Space Features
There are 8 towers of different heights and angles. The first floor has 2 towers, and the inside of the 2 towers is a pool. The other towers have 2 spas, 5 pools and 1 rest area. The towers are connected by a closed loop without end, with many free choices of movement. People walk like walking in the forest. Along the route, there are coffee, rest, makeup, and shops like this small functional space, making the walking experience more rich.
▼First Floor Plan
▼Tower Outside, Glass Box Plant Landscape Area
▼Walking Route
▼Second Floor View
▼Sky Bridge
You can see through the big windows in the tower, while soaking in the hot spring and watching the thick snow outside or the green leaves, or through the skylight you can see the airplane passing across the sky or the twinkling stars. When you step out of the tower and walk on the bridge, you can shuttle through the treetops, which is also a comfortable jungle walk.
▼Hot Spring Pool Space in the Tower
▼Big Windows
▼Skylight
Materials Details
To express the magical energy of nature, we chose volcanic rock for the exterior walls of the tower, because volcanic rock and hot springs both formed after volcanic eruptions. We layered the volcanic rock one by one, like the vegetation and leaves on the mountain, creating a layered effect. The horizontal glass box space uses transparent fading to contrast with the solid tower.
▼The outer wall is layered with volcanic rock
▼Horizontal Glass Box Space and Solid Tower Contrast
The interior mainly uses bamboo, wood and stone, combining 4 different layout forms with light and the depth of the tower to create a special hot spring ritual effect.
▼Four Different Layout Forms of Interior Materials
Place Spirit
In modern fast-paced city life, hot springs will become increasingly important. When people take off their clothes, take off the busy and complicated things in the outside world, and appear in this space almost naked, it’s like turning back to the primitive times, the exchange between humans and nature, and the exchange between humans and humans, all can be honest and true. ‘Forest Valley’ Hot Spring Center is a new place for modern urban life to meet nature and people.
▼Forest Valley Hot Spring Center in Winter
▼Night View
▼Night Overall Bird’s Eye View
Project Name: Forest Valley Hot Spring Center
Project Location: Seven Towns, Longhua County, Chengde City, Hebei Province
Project Type: Hot Spring Spa
Architectural Design: B.L.U.E. Architectural Design Office
Architect: Qian Zhouping, Feng Yanjie, Yang Huiyong, Li Jiaxi, Chen Baoyi, Gui Lingxi, Wu Huiyi (B.L.U.E. Architectural Design Office)
Architectural Construction Drawing Design: China Academy of Building Design and Research Institute Co., Ltd. Curtain Wall
Construction Drawing Design: Zhongguo Ji
Interior Design: B.L.U.E. Architectural Design Office
Landscape Design: Gao Guqi, Yang Hao
Client: Di Di Great Earth Happiness Group
Building Area: 1560㎡
Building Height: 2 Floors
Structural Form: Steel Frame Structure, Main Material
Exterior: Volcanic Rock, Glass, Black Steel Plate, Stainless Steel Plate, Bamboo Steel
Interior: Bamboo Steel, Black Steel Plate, Mongolian Black Stone, Sesame White Stone, Grey Convex Texture Coating
Design Cycle: June 6, 2017 – December 12, 2017
Construction Cycle: September 9, 2017 – September 9, 2019
Photographer: Xia Zhi
