Press Release
Silver A' Design Award in Interior Space and Exhibition Design Goes to Red Brick Hotel by Gong Xu
The international grand jury of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition recognizes Gong Xu for interior space and exhibition design
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 22, 2026 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has confirmed the Silver A' Design Award in the Interior Space and Exhibition Design category for Red Brick Hotel by Gong Xu. The award was conferred within the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition and was reached through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who assessed anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
The Silver A' Design Award Explained
The Silver A' Design Award celebrates top-tier designs that embody excellence and innovation. This award acknowledges creations that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also highly functional, reflecting the designer's deep understanding and skill. Silver A' Design Award recipients are recognized for their contribution to raising industry standards and advancing the practice of design. Their work often incorporates original innovations and elicits a strong emotional response, making a notable impact on the improvement of everyday life.
Regarding Red Brick Hotel
Red Brick is a hotel interior at Qinglong Mountain, created through the adaptive reuse of an old wharf. Reclaimed red clay bricks form a light permeable screen instead of a solid wall. The bricks are perforated and held by a concealed stainless steel system, so no wet mortar is used on the facade. Daylight passes through the small openings and casts changing patterns on the interior surfaces. The dry assembly protects the fragile bricks, reduces water use and allows later disassembly. The project reuses heritage material as an active building element.
About Gong Xu
With over a decade of industry expertise, Gong Xu (MAX) is a commercial space designer dedicated to exploring the symbiosis between commercial logic and humanistic aesthetics. Uniquely bridging the gap between academia and practice, MAX honed his craft with advanced studies at Tsinghua University and in Milan, Italy. He seamlessly integrates cutting-edge international design theories into local commercial projects. His style, a harmonious blend of rationality and sensibility, is evidenced by his numerous international accolades.
Award Record
This recognition makes Gong Xu a winner of 1 A' Design Award.
About the A' Interior Space, Retail and Exhibition Design Award
The A' Interior Design Award is an international interior design competition recognizing good interior designs by interior designers and architects worldwide. The competition is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to interior designers, interior architects, architects and decorators from all countries. Entries typically include residential interiors, restaurants, hotels, offices, galleries and retail stores. Awarded interior designs are published at https://designers.org/design-category/interior
About A' Design Award & Competition
A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade organized annually since 2008. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The A' Design Award has a philanthropic mission to advance society through good design by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Entries are peer reviewed and anonymously evaluated by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. The A' Design Prize granted to eligible laureates includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, the upload of a work and the preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. Further information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://designers.org/180110
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/180110
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!180110
- Laureate Profile: https://designers.org/d/378913
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Red Brick Hotel
- Function
- Hotel
- Category
- Interior Space and Exhibition Design
- Discipline
- Spatial Design
- Industry
- Architecture and Packaging & Retail
- Colors
- Gray, Saddle Brown and Sienna
- Images
- 5
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Gong Xu
- Country
- China
- Recognition
- Silver A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2025 - 2026
- Design ID
- #180110
Credits
- Image Credits
- Photographer Gong Xu, Red Brick Gu Bai, 2025.
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- Situated at Qinglong Mountain, Red Brick executes a radical adaptive reuse of an ancient wharf. Its defining property is the deconstructive treatment of millenary red bricks. Rather than traditional preservation, the masonry is re-engineered into a dynamic, light-permeable membrane. Through precise suspension and perforation, the facade acts as a filter, sculpting daylight into rhythmic interior patterns. This approach dissolves the visual weight of history, creating a dialogue between heavy heritage and contemporary ethereality. Guests experience a tactile narrative where time is materialized through shifting shadows and textured surfaces.
- Inspiration
- The design stems from a philosophical re-examination of the red brick. It transforms the brick from a structural barrier into a permeable vessel of light and memory. Inspired by historical masonry, the project dissolves boundaries between past and present. The motive was to revitalize the tactile warmth of aged bricks using contemporary techniques. Daylight filters through the material itself, not just the surface. This creates a dialogue where history breathes within a modern context.
- Research
- Type: Experimental Architecture. Objectives: To optimize light in old bricks safely. Methodology: Simulation and physical testing. Tools: Rhino 3D, Grasshopper, Load Rigs. Participants: 3 architects, 2 engineers, local masons. Results: Perforated bricks improved light by 40 percent. Load capacity reached 120 kg per sqm. Insights: Old bricks can filter light dynamically. Impacts: This cuts carbon footprint by 40 percent. It proves heritage materials fit modern needs. It offers a green model for preserving history.
- Challenge
- The main challenge was fixing fragile old bricks without breaking them. Modern rules required strong safety proofs. Old bricks vary in strength and crack easily. Drilling deep holes was risky. Mortar would block light. We solved this by making a special clamp system. It holds bricks gently and spreads weight evenly. We did not drill deep. Also, brick colors varied wildly. We solved this by mapping colors and arranging them in a gradient. This turned a flaw into a feature. We met all safety laws and kept the design light.
- Realization and Technology
- Ancient red bricks were sourced locally and cleaned. A custom steel system holds bricks without visible mortar. Precision drilling made holes for light. Bricks are stacked without bearing load. They are fixed to the structure with hidden steel rods. This ensures safety and gives a floating look. Techniques include dry stacking and tension assembly. No wet mortar was used on the facade. This method protects the old bricks from damage.This dry method cuts water use and lets future workers take parts apart easily. It turns old waste into a safe, modern skin that breathes with the building.
- Operation and Interaction
- The space guides guests from a busy street into a quiet sanctuary. Interaction happens naturally: as users step forward, the pattern of light and shadow on the ground changes, acting as a silent guide. The walls breathe; they are not solid barriers but soft filters that let light in while keeping heat and noise out. Key moments include entering the lobby where the ceiling seems to float and touching the warm, aged bricks. This setup deals a better result by calming the mind instantly without needing technology, proving that old materials can create a superior, peaceful modern experience.
- Project Duration and Location
- The project started in January 2023 in Qinglong Mountain and finished in February 2025 in Wuhan. The design was completed for the 2025 hospitality season.
- Specifications
- Material: Reclaimed red clay brick, Stainless Steel 304, Local Timber. Facade Height: 3000 mm to 6000 mm. Brick Module: 240 mm x 115 mm x 53 mm. Aperture Diameter: 20 mm to 50 mm. Total Surface Area: 450 sqm. Load Capacity: 120 kg per sqm. Finish: Natural unglazed brick with clear protective coating. System Weight: 120 kg/sqm. Structural Anchor: Concealed SS Rods.
- Keywords
- Red Brick, Adaptive Reuse, Hotel Design, Heritage, Light Wall, Sustainable, Interior, Renovation, Culture, Facade
