At the highest point of Longmenhao Old Street nearby Nanbu Road in Chongqing, SYY designed Sunyata·Chongqing Hotel, the first urban hotel of Sunyata, based on the former sites of New China Trust Bank and the villa of US Embassy military officers and No.9 Building of Longmenhao, a three-floor building built as per old drawings. Xie Ke intended to define Chongqing’s characters with limited reconstruction and provide contemporary hotel experience by getting rid of the stereotyped features of architectures in the period of the Republic of China. 

Chongqing’s landmarks, such as Huguang Guild Hall in Chongqing, Hongyadong, and Yuzhong Peninsula, can be looked from here. The Dongshuimen Yangtze River Bridge and river-crossing cableway depict the unique skyline of Chongqing. Longmenhao Old Street, a typical place in East Sichuan, shows its hustle and bustle styles. The mottled slabstone pavement witnesses the vicissitudes of Chongqing since its port opening in 1891. 

The purpose of design is to respect each creature and soul in the place and let them “express”. Xie Ke said: “Each generation has its own habits. Designers cannot ‘design’ anything but ‘arouse’, ‘process’ and ‘select’ something”. The project demonstrates the design style of cultural elite tastes and the unique feature of oriental quality hotels, the fourth state other than the hotel, mansion, and home. 

Xie Ke changed the 16 guest rooms into a post house for worldwide cultural travelers in Chongqing. White and grey are the primary colors in the space, and brass is equipped to show the historical styles of the Republic of China in an abstract manner instead of concrete reconstruction. In an era of increasing IT and AI technology, he used some old-fashioned articles excessively. For example, he used manual curtains to replace automatic ones. Besides, he increased the depth of interior wall to deepen the window frame so as to produce intense space immersions. A pool and a recreation area were made behind the villa to satisfy the love of locals for river banks. 

Modern people are lonely. When we get close to the nature and life in an unusual world, we don’t do it for indulgence but to discover ourselves. For the design of Sunyata·Chongqing Hotel, the designer paid close attention to the concept of “metropolis” and used the “space folding” method to help us find the equilibrium of metropolis and nature within a transient time and space and vent our lonely emotions. 

Xie Ke said: “At dusk, the bridge beside the architecture lights up orange lighting, corresponding to the colors of the opposite Yuzhong Peninsula. In the morning, the people on the opposite bank look at us via the misty river because they are attracted by Nanshan Scenic Spot, and we hide beneath it.”