Bronze Hospitality, Recreation, Travel and Tourism Design · 2026
Read Land Hotel
by Liang Nie
- A' Design Award 2026 Bronze Winner in Hospitality, Recreation, Travel and Tourism Design
- Awarded April 15, 2026
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 8,425
- Verification code 7139762B4F · Verify this award
About Read Land Hotel
Read Land is a hotel set in a sports park and surrounded by mountains, water and greenery. The hotel provides accommodation and also dedicated spaces for Zen meditation. Two buildings are joined by a corridor and contain 46 guest rooms, a restaurant, a lobby and two conference rooms. Ergonomically designed meditation areas are placed in the guest rooms and in the public areas. Bamboo, wood, grass, linen and stone give the interiors a simple and calm character. A large water feature and bamboo screens create a sense of openness within a limited area.
LIANG NIE's Read Land Hotel represents a thoughtful contribution to contemporary hospitality interior design, engaging with the evolving discourse surrounding wellness-oriented guest experiences, material authenticity, and the synthesis of cross-cultural aesthetic traditions that characterize progressive boutique lodging environments. The design demonstrates notable compositional discipline in its deployment of symmetrical organization softened by carefully considered asymmetric elements, achieving visual equilibrium that communicates both formal order and organic ease, a balance particularly valuable in hospitality contexts where guests seek simultaneously the comfort of structure and the relief of informality. The material palette reveals sophisticated chromatic restraint, favoring warm-toned natural woods that appear to be pale oak or ash, their visible grain patterns and honest surface treatment establishing tactile warmth and visual interest without chromatic distraction, complemented by soft neutral textiles in the bedding and what seems to be chocolate-toned leather or fabric upholstery in the headboard, creating tonal harmony across the middle-value range punctuated by strategic darker accents and the singular bold gesture of the black-brushwork artwork. The lighting design achieves particular success through its multilayered approach, combining recessed ambient downlighting, concealed cove illumination that bathes the upper wall-ceiling junction in warm glow, integrated backlighting that transforms the central niche into a luminous frame for the artwork, and accent lighting within display alcoves, together establishing an atmosphere of gentle luminosity without harsh shadows or glare, supporting the space's evident intention to function as restorative refuge. The window treatment, consisting of vertical lattice screens that evoke Japanese shoji tradition while employing contemporary materials and proportions, filters natural daylight into soft diffusion, maintaining privacy while preserving connection to exterior illumination and diurnal rhythms, a particularly thoughtful gesture in hospitality design where blackout capability must often be balanced against the psychological benefits of natural light access. The integration of the abstract ink painting as architectural focal point demonstrates cultural fluency, the bold calligraphic gesture providing visual drama and artistic individuality within the otherwise restrained palette, its presence elevating the space beyond generic minimalism into curated aesthetic experience, suggesting the designer's engagement with hospitality as venue for cultural encounter and contemplative experience rather than merely functional accommodation. The spatial organization reveals sensitivity to scale and proportion, the room dimensions appearing generous without monumentality, furniture scaled appropriately to human comfort, and ceiling height providing spaciousness while maintaining intimacy, altogether establishing an environment that invites both active habitation and restful withdrawal. One might consider how this design negotiates the tension between standardization necessary for hospitality operations and individualization desired for memorable guest experience, achieving distinctive character through material selection, lighting orchestration, and artistic integration while maintaining the functional clarity essential to diverse users navigating unfamiliar environments, and how the synthesis of Scandinavian and Japanese design traditions here produces not pastiche but coherent contemporary vocabulary addressing universal human needs for beauty, comfort, order, and serenity.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- Nestled in a sports park, this hotel is surrounded by picturesque landscapes of mountains, waters, and verdant greenery. It not only serves the accommodation function but also creates differentiated Zen practice scenarios, providing customers with Zen meditation activities and check-in experiences.
It emphasizes both "accommodation comfort" and "Zen practice ritual sense". Ergonomically designed meditation spaces are featured in both guest rooms and public areas. - Dimensions & Packaging
- The hotel has two buildings connected by a corridor with a total area of 2870 square meters. It has 46 guest rooms, 22 double rooms of about 28 to 33 square meters each and 24 single rooms of around 25 to 28 square meters each. There is an 83 square meter restaurant with 42 seats, a 76 square meter lobby and two conference rooms covering 190 square meters in total. The bigger one can hold 88 people.
- Tags
- Zen, Silence, Realm, Space, Minimal, Nature, Secluded, Healing
- Production Technology
- To express the Zen mood and realize the function of Zen practice in the hotel space, we convey the artistic conception of the space through emptiness, seclusion, simplicity, tranquility and elegance; in terms of materials, we use simple and natural materials such as bamboo, wood, grass, linen and stone to decorate the space and shape its temperament.
- Design Challenge
- Our greatest challenge was how to create the artistic effects of spaciousness and serenity within the space. With limited usable area, achieving a sense of spaciousness requires leaving blank areas to inspire imagination. We introduced a large water feature to evoke a feeling of openness. Furthermore, we applied elements such as bamboo curtains and grilles to create a view that is visible yet not fully exposed, leaving room for imagination and reflecting the artistic connotation of the space.
- Project Duration
- The design of this project was launched in Xuzhou, China in February 2024, completed in July 2024 with the construction started immediately, the construction was finished in May 2025, and the hotel opened for business in Xuzhou in May 2025.
- Operation Flow
- Unlike traditional hotels, this one features dedicated meditation facilities that immerse guests in a tranquil, Zenlike atmosphere. Serving as both a meditation experience space and a popular photo spot, this unique offering sets the hotel apart and gives it a distinct competitive edge over others.
- Research
- The rapid economic development and fast paced life have brought people mounting pressure and anxiety. Some insightful people therefore long for a return to authenticity. This is the essence of Zen culture and the original intention behind our hotel. The Zen philosophy is evolving from a niche cultural phenomenon into a core force driving business innovation, social harmony and the evolution of design aesthetics.
- Inspiration
- Urban residents urgently need "slow living" and "spiritual healing", driving demand for Zen-based spiritual liberation. This project draws inspiration from Eastern Zen culture (Buddhist Zen practices like sitting meditation, mindfulness) and spatial aesthetics (Japanese dry landscape gardens, Chinese Zen gardens).
Differentiating from traditional hotels that only focus on accommodation, this Zen retreat hotel will create professional scenarios for spiritual practice and meditation healing. - Image Credits
- Picture No. 01: Designer Nie Liang, "Tatami Multifunctional Room", 2025
- Patents
- Copyright Obtained. Registration No.: Guo Zuo Deng Zi - 2021 - F - 00039341. Right Holder: Nie Liang. Application Year: 2025.