A Century of Dreams: Discover a Secluded Hotel in Nanjing

Stepping into The Lalu Nanjing is like traveling through time. Inspired by the "enclosure of the imperial city of Jinling," this hotel, designed by Singaporean architectural firm SCDA, condenses the grandeur of the ancient capital of the Six Dynasties and minimalist aesthetics into a silent poem. The layout is enclosed by Chinese-style courtyard walls, and the symmetrical imperial-style architecture is intertwined with the all-glass curtain wall of the "glass corridor," forming a progressive path of exploration into a secret realm. The main buildings on both sides spread out like wings, and the waterscape and bamboo forest sway in the light and shadow, bringing the hustle and bustle of the city to an abrupt end.
The hotel is like a museum hidden in the city, with details that conceal the cultural context of Jinling. The designer uses a Chinese-style enclosed courtyard as the framework, and the rectangular stone brick exterior walls replicate the texture of the Ming City Wall of Nanjing. The "Moonlight Treasure Box" lobby, constructed of rust stone and steel grating, has lights at night that resemble stars falling into the long river of history. The progressive cascading structure blurs the boundaries between indoor and outdoor spaces. The ten-mile lawn and the bamboo forest along the river introduce nature into the building, and the virtual and real light and shadow of the glass corridor add to the ethereal Zen. The Yue kiln celadon chimes in the center of the lobby are fired using intangible cultural heritage techniques. When struck, the sound is ethereal and resonates with the river, recreating the elegance of the Tang and Song dynasties.
The Lalu Nanjing is a poem of architecture, a container of history, and an aesthetic experiment of living. From the nautical elements of Zheng He's voyages to the echoes of celadon music from intangible cultural heritage, from the secret narratives of the Republic of China's official residences to the minimalist lines along the Yangtze River, this place uses space as a pen to write the vicissitudes of Jinling and the comfort of the present into an eternal dream of the Six Dynasties.

Post by Olivia Pembroke | Apr 10, 2025