Press Release
Jinxiang Zhao Is Honored with the Bronze A' Design Award for Zhi Lan Sustainable Hotel in Hospitality, Recreation, Travel and Tourism Design
Jinxiang Zhao acknowledged for hospitality, recreation, travel and tourism design by the international grand jury of the 2024 - 2025 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 18, 2025 /DesignNewswire/ Zhi Lan Sustainable Hotel by Jinxiang Zhao, designed for Luxun Academy of Fine Arts, has been granted the Bronze A' Design Award in the Hospitality, Recreation, Travel and Tourism Design category, A' Design Award & Competition has announced. The recognition forms part of the 2024 - 2025 A' Design Award & Competition and was decided through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who scored anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
The Bronze A' Design Award Explained
The Bronze A' Design Award is given to outstanding designs that showcase a high degree of creativity and practicality. It recognizes the dedication and skill of designers who produce work that stands out for its thoughtful development and innovative use of materials and technology. These designs are acknowledged for their professional execution and potential to influence industry standards positively. Winning this award highlights the designer's ability to blend form and function effectively, offering solutions that enhance people's lives and wellbeing.
About Zhi Lan Sustainable Hotel
Zhi Lan is a hotel created by converting a former factory into a sustainable hospitality space. The original steel frame is retained and integrated into furniture and interior elements. Planted areas, walkways and a water purification system form a self-sustaining ecosystem. Wastewater from guestrooms, restaurants and offices, together with rain and snow, is collected, purified and used for landscaped terraces and plant areas. A transparent modular purifier makes the water cycle visible. Smart lighting and climate controls support efficient use of energy.
About Jinxiang Zhao
LAFA innovation is a group of young designers from Luxun Academy of Fine Arts, dedicated to sustainable development and technological innovation. With backgrounds in environmental design, user experience, and product design, they explore creative solutions to social and ecological challenges. Their work integrates industrial heritage, green ecology, and intelligent systems to promote environmentally conscious design. Actively engaged in social initiatives, they strive to enhance public well-being and explore the relationship between humanity and nature through design.
Award Record
This recognition makes Jinxiang Zhao a winner of 1 A' Design Award.
About the A' Hospitality, Recreation, Travel and Tourism Design Award
The A' Hospitality Design Award is an international hospitality design competition recognizing good hospitality designs by best hospitality designers worldwide. The competition is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to hospitality designers, architects, hospitality brands and hotel chains from all countries. Entries typically include hotels, restaurants, resorts, cafes, bars and cruise ships. Awarded hospitality designs are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/hospitality
About A' Design Award & Competition
A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade organized annually since 2008. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The A' Design Award has a philanthropic mission to advance society through good design by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Entries are peer reviewed and anonymously evaluated by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. The A' Design Prize granted to eligible laureates includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, the upload of a work and the preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. Further information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://dezigners.org/168106
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/168106
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!168106
- Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/364595
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Zhi Lan Sustainable Hotel
- Function
- Sustainable Hotel
- Category
- Hospitality, Recreation, Travel and Tourism Design
- Discipline
- Service Design
- Industry
- Food & Hospitality and Sports
- Colors
- Dark Slate Gray, Gray, Dim Gray, Rosy Brown and Dark Olive Green
- Images
- 5
- Client
- Luxun Academy of Fine Arts
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Jinxiang Zhao
- Country
- China
- Recognition
- Bronze A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2024 - 2025
- Design ID
- #168106
Credits
- Team
- Haochen Xu and Haige Huang
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- The Zhilan sustainable hotel design transforms an old factory into an eco-friendly space, merging industrial aesthetics with green ecology. The steel frame retains its industrial charm, while integrated greenery and a sewage purification system create a self-sustaining ecosystem. Intelligent systems and water recycling optimize energy efficiency, fostering a sustainable and harmonious connection between humans and nature.
- Inspiration
- The Zhilan hotel design is inspired by the idea of merging industrial heritage with green ecology. A large-scale water purification system collects wastewater and natural water sources, supporting the hotel's ecological systems. By seamlessly linking indoor and outdoor spaces, the design fosters a sustainable relationship between humans and nature, embodying the vision of harmonious coexistence with the environment.
- Research
- Type of Research: Mixed-method exploratory study. Research Objectives: Blend industrial heritage with sustainable design. Methodology: Field studies, interviews, and simulations. Data Collection and Research Tools Used: Surveys, sensors, and digital modeling. Participants or Experiments: Designers, engineers, and local community. Results: A design harmonizing history with eco-tech. Insights and Impacts: Enhanced user experience and business viability. Effect: Boosted social cohesion and innovation in design.
- Challenge
- The hardest aspect was harmonizing the historic industrial character with modern sustainability demands. We faced the challenge of preserving heritage while integrating cutting-edge eco-technologies, navigating regulatory constraints, and reconciling conflicting production capabilities. Balancing historical context, social expectations, and available technology required extensive research and innovative problem-solving.
- Realization and Technology
- Our design employs an interdisciplinary approach, integrating advanced numerical simulation and intelligent monitoring to achieve a seamless union of ecology, structure, and energy efficiency. The hotel’s southern water purification system collects and purifies wastewater from guestrooms, restaurants, offices, and natural rain and snow, supplying landscaped terraces and plant areas to form an indoor-outdoor ecological connection. The transparent, modular purifier visually demonstrates the water cycle. The regenerative facade uses energy-saving materials with excellent mechanical and thermal properties, providing both protection and efficiency, embodying the harmony between humans and nature.
- Operation and Interaction
- An old factory is reborn as a sustainable cultural and hospitality space where industrial charm meets green nature. The original steel frame is integrated into furniture and art, blending strength with renewed vitality. Lush greenery, walkways, and a water purification system create a self-sustaining ecosystem that enhances comfort and sustainability. Smart lighting and climate controls adjust naturally, while water recycling optimizes resource use, fostering a harmonious connection between people and nature.
- Project Duration and Location
- Located at No. 1 Yingpan North Street, Hunnan District, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, the project occupies a prime position adjacent to the Shenyang Olympic Sports Center, Shengjing D’Outlet, and Liaoning Gymnasium. The site benefits from comprehensive facilities and excellent connectivity—Youth Street and Metro Line 2 (within 500 meters)—establishing it as a major urban node. While the exact project duration has not been disclosed, its strategic location underscores its significance.
- Keywords
- Sustainable, Device, Hotel, Green
