Articles by Collin Chen

Planning: The Iteration of the garden. Located on the northern bank of the ancient canal in Yangzhou, the history of “Zhuxi Jiajing” can be traced back to the Ganga ditch in the Spring and Autumn. During the Sui Dynasty, Yang Guang, the Yang Emperor, built the Shangxing Palace here. During the Tang Dynasty, the site was converted into the Kamigata chanzhi Temple. After the millennium, the site was transformed into a park, renamed “Zhuxi Jiajing”, and laid the groundwork for the subsequent design plan. The general plan of the original park was reorganized according to the scale of ‘four, three, two, one’, in accordance with the landscape technique of gardens: there are four divisions of open space, the central part of which is covered with earth to form a mound, so as to obtain the interest of height and depth. The water body is divided into three parts, giving the park a sparse and spacious appearance. Five new buildings, namely the courtyard, the pavilion, the hall, the house, and the garden, are scattered throughout the park to provide public services, and a pavilion, a bamboo pavilion, and a stone pavilion have been constructed to be hidden among the original eight scenes.

The Sprite Cabin is located in the “Fragrant Lake” of Huanggang City, Hubei Province, and is part of the Wiki World Co-Building Plan. This plan will construct a series of uniquely designed natural homes in Fragrant Lake.

The brand name of Sukhothai Hotel is derived from the first independent dynasty in Thailand’s history – Sukhotai, which means “the dawn of happiness”. In 2017, Sukhothai opened its first location in China at the heart of Shanghai with the concept of an “urban oasis”, bringing modern urbanites the traditional Southeast Asian hospitality with a contemporary twist. Lukstudio was brought onboard to renovate the outdoor area connecting to the existing bar and restaurant. The site is located right off the main street entrance on Wei Hai Road, a spot where guests pass through to enter the hotel lobby. Part of the site was originally used as an outdoor terrace for the ZUK bar and the rest were green hedges. An intricately designed water pond with four bronze Pagoda sculptures was hidden behind large planters, serving as an outdoor view for the all-day dining restaurant only. Reinforcing the hospitality concept of an “urban oasis”, Lukstudio transformed the previously inactive site into a leisure garden with two all-weathered pergolas. Along the street, a new glass barrier with bamboo screen is installed to filter out the hustle and bustle. The redesigned landscape is filled with layers of leafy vegetation, replacing the original flat planters.

The hostel’s name ‘SOM LAND’ comes from the traditional Chinese color, warm green between the mottled gaps in the tree shadows, representing a state of relaxation and slow-paced life.