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Following a journey of meaningful transformation, The Silk Lakehouse, Shangri-La Hangzhou, marks the debut of Shangri-La Signatures, the new ultra-luxury brand by Shangri-La Group. Honouring its storied past, the property occupies what was formerly the East Wing of Shangri-La Hotel, Hangzhou. Located within West Lake’s protected zone, the property underwent a landscape-led restoration project to preserve and reinterpret its cultural and architectural legacy. Kokaistudios adopted a “top-floors reduction and massing decompression” strategy while restructuring spatial logic and circulation.
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Set along the tranquil shores of West Lake—a UNESCO World Heritage Site—the project underwent a landscape-led restoration to preserve and reinterpret its cultural and architectural legacy. The original seven-storey structure was partially dismantled, removing the sixth and seventh floors while restoring the original roofline. The intervention significantly eased the building’s visual impact on the cultural landscape. Architecture and interiors echo the poetic landscapes of Hangzhou, creating a sanctuary where nature, culture, and modern luxury meet in perfect balance.
Architectural enhancement in a heavyweight scenic reserve like Hangzhou's West Lake demands not wholesale demolition and reconstruction, but precisely calibrated interventions. Through carbon-conscious retrofitting and cost-efficient strategies, the design thoroughly preserves and extends the historical context of existing structures. In this milestone renovation, Kokaistudios upheld a landscape-first approach rooted in respect for historical heritage.
The design reoriented the hotel’s main vehicle drop-off, shifting it from the north to the south side, and accordingly reorganized the spatial sequence of the ground floor lobby. By deconstructing the formerly enclosed Wellness Centre, the project introduced a semi-subterranean swimming pool that opens fluidly toward the surrounding natural landscape. A carefully integrated skylight system brings daylight deep into the interior, enhancing both the physical environment and psychological comfort of the underground space. To bridge the significant level difference between the East Wing and the pool zone, the team inserted two transparent glass stairwells—lightweight vertical connectors that foster spatial dialogue across multiple layers.
While respecting the original architectural character, Kokaistudios systematically refined the facade by extracting and reimagining its signature geometric language. A rigorously researched color palette was employed to ensure the renovated facade retained the material depth of the historic structure, while offering a cohesive and harmonious visual experience. Guided by ergonomic principles and visual aesthetics, the fenestration proportions were meticulously calibrated to frame exterior views with photographic precision. This transforms natural scenery into living compositions, creating a facade that mediates subtly between contemporary appeal and historical memory.
Drawing from the essence of the original building, the design redefined spatial order using contemporary architectural language, achieving a refined balance between visual elegance and functional performance. Beyond enhancing the fabric of West Lake’s scenic setting, the project offers a thoughtful and restrained design response—one that contributes a new chapter to the living legacy of this UNESCO World Heritage site.
Kokaistudios is an award winning architecture and interior design firm founded in 2000 in Venice by Italian architects Filippo Gabbiani & Andrea Destefanis. Headquartered in Shanghai since 2002 we have grown into multi-cultural firm of 60 people working on a global scale with projects in Asia, the Middle East, Europe and North America. Kokaistudios partners with our clients to collaboratively develop innovative & ground breaking projects in diverse fields of design. Primarily focused on developing cultural, corporate, commercial, hospitality & retail projects we have also worked extensively on urban regeneration projects involving the requalification of heritage locations. Kokaistudios aims to develop projects that add positively to the built environment and social fabric of the cities and countries in which they are located.
