Commune by the Great Wall, Beijing

The Commune Club House designed by Seung H-Sang.
[image from Commune by the Great Wall.]

Commune by the Great Wall, features a private collection of contemporary architecture designed by 12 Asian architects. Managed by Kempinski, phase one of the hotel opened in October 2002 at Walnut Valley of the Commune by the Great Wall. The original phase comprises 11 villas and a club house designed by a sophisticated collection of Asian architects, including Gary Chang (Hong Kong), Shigeru Ban (Japan), Cui Kai (China), Rocco Yim (Hong Kong), Chien Hsueh-Yi (Taiwan), Antonio Ochoa (China), Kengo Kuma (Japan), Kanika R’kul (Thailand), Kay Ngee Tan (Singapore), Nobuaki Furuya (Japan), Yung Ho Chang (China) and Seung H-Sang (South Korea).

The second phase was completed in September 2006. Seung H-Sang was involved with developing the Stone Valley to include 31 new villas with 190 guest rooms, all modelled after the more popular villas from phase one. The development also expanded to complete the hotel facilities of the Commune with a Kids' Club, a Spa run by Anantara, a fitness room and a conference centre.


Detail of the Spa cladding designed by Seung H-Sang.

One of the most popular villa at Commune by the Great Wall and a personal favourite is the Bamboo Wall by Kengo Kuma of Japan. Captivated by the quality of the Great Wall's omnipresent form which is not isolated from the surrounding environment, Bamboo Wall is Kuma's response manifested in dwelling form.


Front elevation of the Bamboo Wall designed by Kengo Kuma.

Using bamboo extensively, the interior and the exterior of the villa is layered with bamboo panels of varing density. Selected panels slide on tracks to reveal and conceal. At the heart of the villa is an elegant pavilion surrounded by a reflective pool, which offers an unblocked view of the Great Wall. The beauty comes with a hefty maintainance cost for periodic replacement of damaged bamboo strips, making this the most pricey villa on the grounds.


The elegant pavilion in Bamboo Wall.
[image from Commune by the Great Wall.]


Read more about the architecture of the 11 villas at Commune by the Great Wall here. For those interested to visit, Commune by the Great Wall runs a tour of the 11 phase-one villas, including open-house of a few, at a fee of RMB 120 per pax.

[text extracted from Commune by the Great Wall; images by Chee Huang, unless otherwise stated. Thank you Chee!]

Commune by the Great Wall is located at Exit No. 16, Shuiguan Badaling Highway, 102102 Beijing, People's Republic of China; Tel:(86) 10 8118 1888. For more information, visit Commune by the Great Wall.

Costa Lanta, Krabi

Villa at Costa Lanta



Restaurant at Costa Lanta

Costa Lanta, comprising of 20 free-standing, open-box bungalows, is situated on Klong Dao Beach, the northern most part of Lanta Yai Island. Designed by Thai architect, Duangrit Bunnag, who combined recycled timber and polished concrete to emphasise the principle of elegant simplicity. The villas fully open up via retractable walls that allows the sea air and sunshine in; and can be closed to provide a climate-controlled environment.

The modern theme is carried through to the terraces, which feature canvas awnings that lead onto the great green lawn, complete with hammocks to enjoy total immersion of the beach experience.

[images from Design Hotels]

Costa Lanta is located at 212 Mu 1,Saladan, Lanta Yai Island, Krabi, Thailand; Tel:(66) 2662 3550, (66) 2662 3551; Fax: (66) 2260 9067, (66) 2258 5670. For more information, visit Costa Lanta, Design Hotels and Duangrit Bunnag.