DESIGN CONCEPT
Husband and wife team Mr. Pan Shiyi and Ms. Zhang Xin are the co-founders of private real estate developer SOHO China.
Commune by the Great Wall is one of their most renowned projects, exhibited at the 2002 la Biennale di Venezia, and winning Zhang a special prize for her “bold personal initiative”
The Commune is a private collection of contemporary architecture designed by 12 Asian architects, set in a shared landscape where modernism and tradition blend together.
Suitcase House – Architects Statement - Gary Chong (Hong Kong)
"Casting a question mark upon the proverbial image of the house, this scheme attempts to rethink the nature of intimacy, privacy, spontaneity and flexibility. It is a simple demonstration of the desire for ultimate adaptability, in pursuit of a proscenium for infinite scenarios, a plane of sensual pleasure.
The dwelling represents a stacking of strata. The bottom stratum acts as a container for domestic fittings and equipment, services and maids quarters. It also fulfils the requirements for storage. Compartments are concealed by a landscape of floor panels, which when raised, give access to the world below. The top stratum houses a series of blinds that may be raised or lowered to subdivide the space. Similarly, the building envelope is a stratification of vertical layers. The outer skin is a wrap of full height double-glazed folding doors while the inner layer is comprised of a series of screens forming a matrix of openings. The abstract facade pattern is thereby rooted in its user-oriented operational logic. Together, these strata give form to the zone in between. The middle stratum embodies a reincarnated piano nobile par excellence for habitation, activity and flow. Adapting a non-hierarchical layout with the help of mobile elements provided by the envelope, it transforms itself readily according to the nature of the activities, number of inhabitants, and personal preferences for degrees of enclosure and privacy. At any point in time, only the essential elements required will have a spatial presence. A metamorphic volume, it slides effortlessly from an open space to a sequence of rooms, depending on the inhabitants specific requirements.
The house is located at the head of the Nangou Valley in Shui Guan. The site, which slopes steeply towards the north, is relatively exposed. To maximize views to the prominent Great Wall and solar exposure in the continental temperate climate, a north-south orientation is adopted. It will be possible to see the great wall from all major spaces within the dwelling whilst seated. One of the essential components of luxury is choice and the dwelling is provided with multiple entrances, all with equal status, whilst each room is differentiated by the provision of unique amenities.
The floor panels evoke unmistakable associations with the interior of a luxury cruise-boat. They are pneumatically assisted for ease and convenience. When opened a sensual, soft and inviting interior is revealed. As mid-level compartments fulfil most requirements little furniture is required. What furniture there is, is mobile and plays an active role in the dwellings high degree of adaptability." FEATURES
The house has four bedrooms, each with a separate bathroom, and an in-house sauna. A number of sliding doors can either partition the house into several rooms or turn it into a larger integrated space. An elevator takes you to the rooftop entertaining area from where you can view the Great Wall in its grandeur.
The Suitcase House is suitable for special meetings, cocktail parties, fashion shows and news conferences.
LOCATION
Located in the Shuiguan Mountains amidst 8 square kilometres of private land. Commune by the Great Wall is 1 hour’s drive away from Beijing Capital International Airport, 20 kilometres away from the main train station (Qing Long Qiao station) and 50 minutes’ drive from Beijing city centre, the property enjoys an easy access via the Badaling Expressway. 15 minutes’ drive from Badaling private airport, available for helicopters (20 minutes’ transfer from Beijing Capital International Airport) and small aircrafts on the 800 metres long runway.
RATES
Walnut Valley Presidential Villas – contact Commune for availability and pricing
Commune by the Great Wall is also open to the public. if villas are not occupied by guests, visitors are allowed inside & outside, otherwise just the exteriors are open for a fee of RMB 120 per person.
Stone Valley
Standard Rooms from RMB 2500 per night
Deluxe Rooms from RMB 3300 per night
