Crowne Plaza Taiping Lake

Located on the shores of Taiping Lake, west of Shanghai, the 5-star resort hotel includes conference and club facilities, restaurants, a health spa, indoor swimming pool, water sport facilities and a retail component. Taiping Lake is in An Hui province, where several world heritage sites are approved by UNESCO, including nearby villages and Huangshan Mountain.

The design of the hotel responds directly to the site and its heritage value, with its form alluding to the character of Anhui buildings, and the materials sourced from local stone and timber. But the most important local feature involved Taiping Lake itself. The design team was adamant that the development of the hotel would have a minimal impact on the environment. Working closely with the energy consultant Squire Mech, the team saw the lake as a prime opportunity to implement geothermal technology and reduce the consumption of carbon fuels. The lake provides a thermal sink and secondary source of energy. Warm in winter and cool in summer, the lake is subsequently harnessed for air conditioning. The concept, which is relatively new to China, has taken environmentally sustainable practice to greater heights in China.