SKYWELLS in Wuyuan: Turning a 300 Year-old Courtyard into a Boutique Hotel

We are happy to welcome Andreas Thomczyk of anySCALE architecture to introduce a currently ongoing heritage restoration project located in Wuyuan, Jiangxi. 

anySCALE's restoration project is carefully and sensitively fitting modern amenities into the historical frame of a traditional Huizhou style courtyard. One main goal of this project is to restore the damaged wooden frame to it’s original state.

The building is a typical two story Huizhou style sky-well courtyard with whitewashed solid masonry walls, minimal openings, and timber frame. Daylight comes in mainly through the small open courtyards, which in that region are called sky-wells ('tian jing’). All the rooms open up to these yards. The wooden parts in the more public areas are elaborately carved and decorated.

On this project, anySCALE has partnered with a local carpenter with the necessary experience and skill to confidently work on these historical vernacular structures. Additional to doing construction work he also restores and, when necessary, replaces the decorative carvings according to tradition or his own designs. For this project he carved the main beam of the entrance area with motifs from the clients’ background and story.

Andreas will discuss the challenges of merging modern amenities and the historical frame. He will also discuss anySCALE's decisions in this process. This will include the decision to keep the public areas' esthetic original and traditional while choosing a more contemporary and playful esthetic for the rooms. Additionally, the decision to locate the new main stair into a later addition to the original building (which was felt had less historical value, so bigger changes seemed justified). There will also be a completely new extension towards the garden, which will house a restaurant.

Andreas will lend insight into the challenges and achievements in this project and shed light on the process of working with traditional architectural structures. The project is currently under construction, with the restoration of the historical wooden frame being almost completed. Construction of modern structures as well as plumbing and wiring are under way right now.

This event is organized by the Courtyard Institute, anySCALE, Beijing Cultural Heritage Protection Center and Capital M. 

A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Beijing Cultural Heritage Protection Center