Beijing 2009 - The Commune by The Great Wall

The Commune by The Great Wall is one of the most unique projects in Beijing which we visited. It is actually a luxury hotel located at the foot of the Great Wall at Badaling. Developed by the SOHO Group, the hotel is a collection of private villas designed by 12 Asian architects from around the region. The villas are full-sized mansions complete with living areas, kitchen, dining and several bedrooms. They are essentially designed as private homes. 

What is amazing about this project is that the developer had the vision and resources to bring together such an eminent group of architects to work on the project, and to actually pull it off to such a high level of quality, at the same time preserving the natural beauty and environmental quality of the site. It must have been a mammoth task getting the project realised. This is one of the places you shouldn't miss when visiting Beijing.

The main Reception Building - designed by South Korean architect Seung H-Sang. It is a masterful composition of light, space and materials.

The understated entrance porch.

The lobby which is faced on both sides by 2-storey high glass walls.

The terrace dining area with great views of the Great Wall.

 A view from the landscaped terrace.

The "Furniture House" by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban.

The "Airport House" by Taiwanese architect Chien Hsueh-Yi.

The "See and Seen House" by Chinese architect Cui Kai.

The "Distorted Courtyard House" by Hong Kong architect Rocco Yim.

The famous "Bamboo House" by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma. It has spawned many copies around the world. 

The "Shared House" by Thai architect Kanika R'kul.

The "Twins House" by Singapore architect Tan Kay Ngee.

The "Cantilever House" by Antonio Ochoa. 

The "Forest House" by Japanese architect Nobuaki Furuya.

This is one of those projects which seem to exist only in an architectural dream world. Go and see it !