A Sophisticated Hotel In China Shaped After The Iconic Rubik’s Cube

Architects often have to deal with all sorts of limitation both when building and designing their projects. While that can sometimes have a negative impact on the project, there are also cases when these limitations serve as a source of inspiration and push the design into a completely new and exciting direction. One of the best examples in this case is the Cube Hotel which was completed in 2020 by studio SU Architects.

In total the Cube Hotel has a surface of 400 square meters across several different levels
In total the Cube Hotel has a surface of 400 square meters across several different levels

It’s located in Huzhou, China and is a part of the Megan Mountain International Tourism Resort. The team faced a set of specific restrictions, namely the fact that the building height could be no more than 12 meters and the total footprint could not go over 140 square meters. After doing some calculations, the architects came up with a really cool plan. Since 140 square meters is basically a 12 m x 12 m area, they decided to go with a geometric cube design. At the end of the day, everything adds up perfectly.

The simple and bold geometry of the building allow the hotel to stand out without overcomplicating it
The simple and bold geometry of the building allow the hotel to stand out without overcomplicating it
The hotel enjoys a nice elevation which allows it to take advantage of the beautiful panorama surrounding it
The hotel enjoys a nice elevation which allows it to take advantage of the beautiful panorama surrounding it

The team tried to avoid including many cultural references in the design so they chose a more general and universally known symbol as a source of inspiration: the Rubik’s cube. As you can see, the building is structured on three floors and each floor has a set of three floor-to-ceiling windows on each side. The black frame gives the hotel the distinctive Rubik’s cube structure. Three different types of glass were used for the square windows across the facades of the hotel and that’s in order to offer different degrees of exposure and privacy. Some feature transparent glass  which gives them beautiful panoramic views over the gorgeous landscape, some use U-shaped glass and some are made of glass bricks for added privacy. The first floor is where all the common areas and the reception are situated and the two upper floors contain 6 guest bedroom suites.

The top of the hotel serves as a large open terrace and the view from up here is magnificent
The top of the hotel serves as a large open terrace and the view from up here is magnificent
There's also a generous outdoor space with lounge areas and a swimming pool
There’s also a generous outdoor space with lounge areas and a swimming pool
One of the corner cubes on the first floors is offset and looks as if it's been polled out, adding dynamism to the design
One of the corner cubes on the first floors is offset and looks as if it’s been polled out, adding dynamism to the design
The beautiful resort that the hotel is a part of has large rolling hills, a delta and charming bamboo forests
The beautiful resort that the hotel is a part of has large rolling hills, a delta and charming bamboo forests
The reception area and several other common spaces occupy the first floor of the hotel
The reception area and several other common spaces occupy the first floor of the hotel
A graceful white staircase spirals up and leads to the other floors that contain the guest rooms
A graceful white staircase spirals up and leads to the other floors that contain the guest rooms
The common areas have full-height transparent glass windows which expose them to the lush landscape
The common areas have full-height transparent glass windows which expose them to the lush landscape
On the first floor one can find a few cozy lounge areas with relaxing decors and soothing lighting
On the first floor one can find a few cozy lounge areas with relaxing decors and soothing lighting
The bedrooms enjoy a simple interior design with minimal furnishings, allowing the emphasis to be on the views
The bedrooms enjoy a simple interior design with minimal furnishings, allowing the emphasis to be on the views
The suites have open and airy layouts and designs that are both simple and sophisticated
The suites have open and airy layouts and designs that are both simple and sophisticated
There are no support columns in the corners which allows uninterrupted views across the landscape
There are no support columns in the corners which allows uninterrupted views across the landscape
Opaque glass and glass bricks were used for the areas that require more privacy
Opaque glass and glass bricks were used for the areas that require more privacy