A striking new resort in China's Hebei Province has transformed the ancient art of kiln architecture into a contemporary hospitality experience. The Hermit Resort, designed by Domain Architects, sits near the historic Xing Kiln Ruins and draws direct inspiration from the archaeological and cultural heritage of the 1,500-year-old site. The project represents a unique approach to modern architecture that honors historical memory while creating spaces for today's travelers.
The original kiln site provides a fascinating blueprint for the resort's design philosophy. Despite centuries of natural erosion, the ancient kilns still show their original layout of multiple chambers arranged in a distinctive horseshoe formation around small courtyards. The resort's location is particularly meaningful, as it occupies part of what was once a relocated village, where fragmented stone walls and traces of old settlements can still be found scattered across the gentle slope beside a flowing stream.
Domain Architects approached this project as an opportunity to create what they call "a new form of relic" - a built environment that serves as a bridge between the present day and ancient times. The design embraces the aesthetic tension that exists between architectural order and natural decay. The architects carefully studied and referenced the compositional principles that made the historic kilns so remarkable: spatial clustering, partial enclosure, and the seamless interrelationship between built structures and the natural landscape.
Rather than constructing a single large building, the resort is conceived as a collection of small, single-story white structures that form a loose settlement naturally integrated into the terrain. The architectural elements - including beams, walls, and courtyards - are interwoven in complex ways that create an intentional ambiguity between what constitutes interior and exterior space. This design strategy challenges traditional notions of where buildings end and landscapes begin.
Each of the resort's 50 guest rooms features its own private courtyard, making every accommodation unique. The interior spaces are designed to semi-enclose these courtyards in a horseshoe configuration that directly mirrors the geometry found at the original ancient kiln sites. This thoughtful arrangement effectively dissolves the clear distinction between inside and outside spaces, allowing guests to experience their accommodations as natural extensions of the surrounding landscape rather than separate enclosed rooms.
The resort's materiality and spatial composition are specifically designed to emphasize both the passage of time and the coexistence of human-made structures with nature. Throughout each day, the interplay of light, shadow, and architectural texture changes dramatically with shifting weather conditions and the movement of the sun, continuously reinforcing the resort's deep relationship with its natural environment. These changing conditions ensure that guests experience different moods and atmospheres during their stay.
With the Hermit Resort project, Domain Architects has introduced an innovative model of contemporary hospitality that engages directly with historical memory, landscape preservation, and architectural evolution. The resort invites its occupants to inhabit a uniquely designed space that feels suspended between past and future, offering visitors a chance to connect with both ancient Chinese culture and cutting-edge architectural thinking. This approach demonstrates how modern tourism can honor cultural heritage while providing world-class contemporary experiences.
