VECTOR ARCHITECTS. GONG DONG AND THE ART

Gong Dong and Vector Architects are in the vanguard of a new generation of Chinese architects who are revealing extraordinary approaches to building and design that marry tradition with an ever-more-thrilling modernism. Gong Dong’s architecture evocatively combines features of the modern with lessons learned from China’s old culture of craftsmanship while giving utmost attention to the experiential qualities of design. Beyond great facility, the firm is celebrated for exploring the possibilities of sustainability and eco-sensitive construction. Recently featured in the exhibition Reuse, Renew, Recycle: Recent Architecture from China at New York’s MoMA, Dong’s work was singled out for the Alila Yangshio Hotel. A readaptation of an old industrial site and former sugar factory near the Chinese city of Guilin, known for its dramatic landscape of precipitous limestone karst hills, the hotel embraces the extraordinary site, with pools that reflect the stunning surrounds, while also offering great comfort and ease to guests.