Doudian is a new gateway city on the outskirts of Beijing. The client wanted a singular form to encompass three separate uses; hotel, retail and high-density apartment complexes.

Adhering to this request, we took a figure-eight diagram and ran it around the perimeter of the site, overlapping sections and introducing twists internally to demarcate the different uses. This allows for light, open spaces with landscaped plazas and communal areas.

Externally swooping elevations and curved forms visually break down the mass of the building with a modular prismatic façade system. At the northeast corner, directly adjacent to a major ring road, an art installation of programmable LED/colored lights acts as a beacon and draws the residents and visitors into the development.