Atlas Hotel

Atlas Hotel is near Hoi An’s Old Town, a rapidly-growing place since officially named by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. So far, many house owners have transformed their houses into souvenir shops and restaurants that serve the daily influx of tourism. The neighborhood is well known for its beautiful tiled-roofscape and its internal courtyards, which together create a layer of spatial quality between the inner and outer spaces. However, the peaceful atmosphere is disappearing due to the chaotic commercial activities and the influx of tourists. 

The plot is irregular, so the design tries to turn these constraints into a unique character for the hotel. The linear layout consists of several internal courtyards. By lifting the building above its site, the ground floor feels more open, and courtyards interconnect to a network.

The five-story hotel includes 48 guest rooms, as well as various leisure functions such as a restaurant, café, rooftop bar, spa, gym, and swimming pool. Due to the complexity of the site, each guest room is shorter but broader than a standard hotel room. Rather than a problem, this gave the rooms greater access to the greenery outside, not only the bedroom but also the bathroom.

The building’s façade is clad with locally-sourced sandstone pieces used in combination with an exposed concrete slab and a series of planters along the corridors. The planters are arranged along the entire façade of the hotel to provide solar shading and allow cooler air to ventilate the spaces. Additionally, the perforated stone walls admit daylight without blocking airflow. This scheme helps provide natural ventilation, thus minimizing the use of air conditioners. The use of these green and natural elements embodies the particular interest of the office and the House for Trees concept: to integrate greenery into the design as a way to rejuvenate urban areas and contribute to social improvement. At its core, Atlas Hotel reconnects the guests with nature.