The Silk Lakehouse by the Shangri-La Group proves that adaptive reuse can achieve the heights of refined luxury. To preserve the nature reserve around China’s picturesque West Lake, Kokaistudios reduced the building’s mass and replaced paved areas with greenery.
An old Chinese proverb says: In heaven there is paradise; on earth, there is Hangzhou and Suzhou. While Suzhou is called the Venice of the East, Hangzhou owes its paradise-like beauty to West Lake. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011, this cultural landscape was praised as early as the 13th century by Venetian explorer Marco Polo for its natural beauty and historical significance. Today, the lake is one of China’s most visited attractions and a popular honeymoon destination. On an elevated site with views of West Lake once stood the historic Xiling Hotel, a retreat for state guests including US President Richard Nixon. In 1986, this location became home to Shangri-La group’s first hotel on the Chinese mainland.
Now, nearly 40 years later, the historic property has undergone a further transformation. The opening of The Silk Lakehouse marks the debut of Shangri-La Signatures, the ultra-luxury brand within the already renowned hotel group.
A case for the Venetian School
The ageing hotel was to be transformed through careful renovation, restoration, and adaptation into a retreat harmoniously blending tradition and modernity. Located in the heart of West Lake’s nature reserve, the relationship between architecture and landscape required a thoughtful reevaluation.
To achieve this, architects Andrea Destefanis and Filippo Gabbiani of Kokaistudios were brought on board. Representatives of the Venetian School, they are renowned for complex renovations that preserve cultural heritage. Over 20 years ago, they were called to Shanghai to restore a historic bank building and have since made China their base.
The Venetian School emerged around Venice’s prestigious IUAV design university. Its approach fuses historical and contemporary architecture, resulting in innovative designs and new urban solutions.
Less volume, more green
Instead of adding density, as is often done in adaptive reuse, the Kokaistudios team “de-densified” the building in favour of the surrounding landscape.
By removing the top two floors, the building’s visual impact on West Lake’s cultural landscape was significantly softened. “This intervention mitigated the building’s dominance within the landscape,” the architects explain.
During this complex renovation, Kokaistudios always prioritised the landscape.
Kokaistudios, Architekturbüro
The functions of the removed floors were reorganised into the lower levels, creating a logical spatial flow. The ground floor programme also shifted, as the main entrance was moved from the north to the south side.
Where hotel forecourts were once dominated by traffic lanes, today such spaces are repurposed into parks, pools, and sun decks. The Silk Lakehouse follows this principle: its restructured ground floor gained green areas where once asphalt absorbed the sun’s heat – now blooming with life.
A makeover of geometric language
Only the former wellness centre made way for a contemporary spa area. A semi-underground swimming pool with a waterfall and lush planting now evokes a natural grotto opening out to the surrounding landscape.
The architects paid special attention to the building’s exterior appearance. They reworked the facade’s geometric forms to preserve material depth while creating a unified, harmonious aesthetic. Window proportions were redesigned to frame views of the landscape like photographic compositions.
Throughout this complex renovation, Kokaistudios ensured that landscape remained at the forefront and cultural heritage was preserved. “The project not only enhances West Lake’s picturesque surroundings but also provides a thoughtful and sensitive design solution that adds a new chapter to the living legacy of this UNESCO World Heritage site,” the studio concludes.
Text: Gertraud Gerst
Fotos: RAWVISION studio, Jean-Pierre Gabriel