The Dongshan West Bay Resort by Chinese architecture studio Protoscapes represents a bold reimagining of maritime heritage, transforming a decommissioned fishing pier into a public-facing coastal destination. Located on the southwestern edge of Dongshan Island in Fujian Province, the project marks the island's first diving-themed resort, creating a new interface between land and sea. The development rises from the former site of Qianlou Town's historic fishery center, repurposing the industrial pier footprint into a contemporary hospitality experience that honors its working-class roots. This innovative approach to adaptive reuse demonstrates how obsolete maritime infrastructure can be transformed into vibrant community assets while celebrating local history.
The resort's architectural language directly responds to its coastal environment, with undulating balcony lines that echo the rhythmic patterns of tides and waves. Curvilinear triangular openings along hotel corridors draw northeastern light deep into the interior while framing views of distant mountain ranges and creating dynamic shadow patterns throughout the day. A striking 24-meter diving tower serves as the property's landmark, wrapped in perforated aluminum panels whose rippling surface softens the mass of the underlying concrete structure and creates a shimmering effect in sunlight. Elongated oculus windows, reminiscent of submarine portholes, punctuate the facade and provide guests with expansive views across the South China Sea, creating constant visual connections to the maritime setting that inspired the design.
Protoscapes organized the resort around two L-shaped volumes that enclose a sheltered central courtyard, creating a protected communal heart that mitigates the region's hot summer sun and strong winter winds from the east. The design includes thirty-one hotel suites and food-and-beverage spaces along the southwestern edge, ensuring uninterrupted views of the sea and sunset for guests while maximizing natural ventilation. A nautical-themed commercial arcade faces northeast, reconnecting the development to the street life and economic rhythms of the surrounding fishing village. Multi-tiered, open-air viewing platforms cascade toward the water, while a continuous boardwalk traces the site's perimeter, extending the pier's former role as a working landscape into a civic gathering space for both tourists and locals.
Dongshan Island has long served as a crossroads of maritime culture in southern Fujian, and the project draws directly from this rich heritage that spans centuries of fishing traditions. The ground-level arcade is carved as a continuous sheltered passage that recalls sea-eroded coastal caves, operating as a sequence of framed ocean views that change with the tides and weather patterns. This design choice reflects Protoscapes' commitment to creating architecture that emerges from local geography and cultural memory rather than imposing foreign forms. The resort's diving theme celebrates the island's fishing and maritime traditions while introducing new recreational opportunities that support sustainable tourism development in the region and provide alternative livelihoods for local communities.
Guests at Dongshan West Bay Resort experience a seamless blend of adventure and tranquility, with direct access to diving activities from the dedicated tower and platforms that bring them close to the water's surface. The shared sunset views create a communal experience between hotel guests and the public, breaking down barriers between resort and village that typically separate tourism from local life. The architectural design encourages exploration of the boundary between built environment and natural landscape, with each space offering different perspectives on the relationship between human settlement and the sea. This project demonstrates how thoughtful design can transform industrial relics into destinations that serve both visitors and local communities, creating economic value while preserving cultural memory and environmental sensitivity.
