Mu Spring Resort, a project by IDMatrix

Chengdu is a metropolis of more than 20 million people, the capital city of Sichuan province in southwestern China. With a long history that began four thousand years ago, Chengdu is now one of China’s most important hubs of finance, trade, culture, transportation and communications. It is very difficult to find an oasis of tranquillity in such a crowded, stressful place, but such a place can be found in Mu Spring Resort, established by Chengdu Blue Town Urban and Rural Construction Development Co., Ltd. The resort is located in a splendid natural landscape and offers everything the ideal country life should include, while of course taking into account the wealth of the local culture, which becomes an essential element of the architectural project.
Idmen Liu’s studio IDMatrix originated from Matrix Design, an academic design research centre dedicated to the practical operation of full life cycle design. IDMatrix draws on the "New Asia" aesthetic to come up with the concept of "Return to the East" in the perception of sustainability, culture, art and philosophy. The inspiration for the new resort evolved out of this approach to design, in which the region’s architecture, landscape and customs are meticulously integrated into the design of the resort with the specific goal of “connecting the ecological landscape of country life with the modern concept of urban life, showing the infinite potential and possibilities of future country life,” according to the architects’ note for the press.
A number of elements of the resort’s design pay tribute to the rich culture of Sichuan, based primarily on the example of multi-layered design visible in the famous “food boxes”, made of simple, natural materials such as bamboo and wood. The upper layer contains appetisers, the middle layer the main dishes with a bowl of rice, and the lower layer delicious sweets. On the basis of this simple but long-lasting concept, the team designed wooden lamps in the reception hall as a modern version of the traditional food box; the lamps give off a soft, ethereal light which provides sufficient lighting while maintaining a sense of mystery.
The vaulted ceiling of "Paddy Fields" restaurant derives from the inclined green tile roof of Linpan, in western Sichuan, an architectural technique that makes the room more spacious. These vaulted structures are common in traditional Chinese architecture, representing a legacy and a cultural continuation in the new hotel complex.
IDMatrix has taken great care in the choice of materials: rammed earth, granite, rustic brick, walnut veneer, hand-painted wallpaper, paper rattan, bamboo and oak wood flooring, demonstrating the team’s commitment to using traditional sustainable materials. The same palette of materials and colours inspired by nature is apparent in the furnishings and even the fabrics used in the guest rooms. Big windows frame the splendid landscape outside so that guests wake up in the embrace of nature.
IDMatrix uses a design approach that respects the local traditions and aims to extend them and integrate them into future country life, offering guests at the 1825 square-metre Mu Spring Resort in Chengdu an opportunity to imagine what the future of country living might be and enjoying its great potential in the utmost comfort during their stay.

Christiane Bürklein

Interior design: IDMatrix
Location: Chengdu, China
Year: 2021
Images: Shi Xiang Wan He