The Dali-based studio Zhao Yang Architects are responsible for the transformation of the two-and-a-half storey homestead-turned-hostel into a four-floor hotel, the Sunyata Hotel Meili, which is located in the “Three Parallel Rivers” of Asia’s greatest tributaries in Yunnan, China. A cluster of 22 households, the village has been untouched for centuries and thanks to the thoughtful restoration of an ancient Tibetan house, Sunyata has now 23 houses in the village. The philosophy of wabi-sabi is practiced through the aged texture of natural materials, salvaged wood, earthy colors, and a restrained aesthetic that treasures “emptiness”. While the architectural language of the hotel is traditional, albeit supported by modern practices, the interiors offer smooth lines, clean angles, and a controlled nude palette that speaks of the now.
