Communion with natural scenery informs Fusion Design's Sanyea Sjór Seaside Resort

Shenzhen-based architectural firm, Fusion Design, successfully marks the completion of its minimal and quaint Sanyea Sjór Seaside Resort in China, suffused in earthy hues and tones. This 1,800 sqm resort architecture seeks inspiration from an ancient Chinese saying: There is a lot of water, I only take a scoop to drink - "It means that there are many wonderful people in the world, but you are the only one in my heart. This is an oath to love and romance that the (resort) wants to give everyone,” shares Josh Wen, Founder and Principle Designer, and Suki Li, Co-Patner and Principle Designer at Fusion Design, on the core concept of the resort’s design.

Boasting mesmerising and pleasant views of the sunrise and the soft beach that flanks the site, Sanyea Sjór Seaside Resort is designed as a heavenly escape for people living in dense urban areas. Due to the sudden outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, people living in metropolitan Shenzhen realised the importance of open green spaces, and how they have proven to increase well-being and relaxation. The hotel in close proximity to the city, therefore, also acts as a temporary residence, offering peace of mind and a pocket of calm that helps guests dissociate properly from the cacophony of urban life.

The two-storeyed building enjoys a blessed location of being away only a few hundred metres from the seashore, enabling scenic views across all its levels, at any given vantage point - even the washrooms enjoy panoramic, framed vistas of its beautiful, calming context. Painted in a warm, terracotta red that references the colour of the local soil, the façade of the resort design features protruding, square-shaped windows that demonstrate a minimal, modern aesthetic. The resort has been planned in a seamless manner, separating its common spaces, both indoor and outdoors, including restaurants, bars and terraces, from the more secluded residential ones.

The subdued yet present architecture reaches a height of seven metres, and takes full advantage of the property’s scenic setting by making sweeping views to the beach and the abundant nature around, the protagonists of the project. Swathed in daylight, the interior design of the Sanyea Sjór Seaside Resort is stripped down, and mirrors the minimal aesthetic of its exterior, employing a similar, warm red tone and soft textures referencing the sea and the seashore. According to the Chinese designers, the chosen hues help soothe people's temperaments, enabling a more relaxing experience, one that is quiet and palliative. Curves and soft edges of the ceiling inject dynamism, paying homage to the sea's fluid nature, creating a soulful backdrop and infusing the resort with a comfortable, cosy ambience.

Subtle details adapted in the interiors make the space come together as an abstraction of nature, in a modern setting, all its employed hues and colours referencing the sandy beach. The reception table that greets one at entry is made of a single piece of uncut and unpolished stone, dressed in a raw, rough texture. A glass partition beside the table is placed between grid bricks, emitting triangular patterns in natural light. A materiality of earthy rattan and warm wood enhances the cosiness of the interiors. The bar counter stands quietly on one side of the public space, axially symmetrical to the reception area, its placement and form emphasised through the usage of spotlights embedded in bevels and hollowed surfaces lining the ceiling.

"Behind the sofa in the living room is the dining area of the resort, which can also be used as a meeting room or party space. The space is opened through the rotation of the rattan wooden door. According to the needs of the crowd, the interior customised tables and chairs have a variety of permutation and combination options," explains Fusion Design.

Connected by a Klein blue spiral staircase, the residential areas have been separated from the common ones by a glass door for privacy, with the guest rooms peppered across the upper and lower floors. The staircase is crowned with a circular skylight, creating an intriguing interplay of light and shadow. The stairs resemble "fish swimming in the sea", exuding wonderful vitality and texture, with sunlight streaming from the window. All rooms are planned to enhance views to the sea or the mountains stretching at leisure in the distance.

Mimicking the waves caressing the seashore, the ocean view guest room has been designed in a continued colour scheme, a soft touch brought by the all-linen fabric employed. Opening up the space and meeting with the outdoors, the floor-to-ceiling windows installed here eliminate the boundaries between the built and the natural scenery. The mountain view room faces the hilly range, providing it a sense of bulky yet secure attribute.

Fusion Design also designed a charming little water installation on the terrace, to mirror and frame the adjacent sea. The water circling within the slate’s centre gurgles slowly, flowing into and reflecting the dawn sky. A small auditorium rests on the flagstone road, the same one where the installation takes residence. “Allowing guests to have a more relaxed and free living experience was the core of this design. Therefore, we combined the two open-air spaces into one, removed redundant decorative parts, and gave people more spaces for leisure, leaving only a few woven lanterns dotted here and there, giving a kind of ‘waiting tenderness’,” the designers relay.

Project Details

Name: Sanyea Sjór Seaside Resort
Location: Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province, China
Owner: Shenzhen Sanyea Cultural Tourism Development Co., Ltd.
Area: 1800 sqm (Site Area); 1,800 sqm (Gross Floor Area); 1,300 sqm (Interior Space);
Architects and Interior Designers: Fusion Design
Design Team: Josh Wen, Suki Li (Principal Designer); Xi Zhao, Alvis Yao, Willem Xiang (Senior Designers); Holly Huang, Billy Li, Pengshan Tang, Jojo Wang (Design Assistants); Aurora Wang, Mayra Hu, Hui Miao (FF&E Design)
Contractor: Shenzhen Zihongcheng Development Co., Ltd.
Lighting Consultant: Seity Lighting (Zhongshan) Co., Ltd.

(Text by Navisha Sogani, intern at STIRworld)