Sifang Hotel Nanjing, Autograph Collection
Architecture, Art & Forest in Perfect Balance
Why DNA Hotels Loves It
● One of the world’s most extraordinary architecture destinations, where internationally acclaimed architects have created an open-air museum in the forest.
● A design-led retreat that seamlessly blends contemporary architecture, landscape, and art within the peaceful surroundings of Lao Shan National Forest Park.
● A rare opportunity to experience architecture not simply as a building, but as an immersive journey through nature.
An Open-Air Museum of Architecture
Few hotels can claim to be destinations for architecture alone. Hidden among the forests just outside Nanjing, Sifang Hotel is part of the remarkable China International Practical Exhibition of Architecture (CIPEA), a 115-acre campus where some of the world’s leading architects were invited to create an experimental collection of buildings set within the landscape. The result feels less like a hotel resort and more like a living architectural gallery.
Architecture Among the Trees
Scattered across the wooded hills are villas, pavilions, and exhibition spaces designed by internationally renowned architects including Kazuyo Sejima, Arata Isozaki, Steven Holl, Ettore Sottsass, Wang Shu, David Adjaye, and Ai Weiwei. Each structure reflects its creator’s distinctive vision while responding to the surrounding forests, lakes, and rolling terrain. Walking through the grounds becomes an architectural journey where every path reveals another unexpected masterpiece. Nature is never the backdrop—it is an essential part of the experience.
Design in Dialogue with the Landscape
The contemporary hotel itself embraces the same philosophy. Modern interiors combine exposed concrete, dark timber, steel, natural stone, and expansive glazing to create spaces that feel both refined and deeply connected to the surrounding forest. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame woodland views, while the restrained material palette allows changing light and nature to become part of every room. The atmosphere is calm, contemplative, and unmistakably modern.
Art Beyond the Walls
At the heart of the estate stands the striking Sifang Art Museum, designed by Steven Holl. Elevated above the landscape in aluminium and glass, the museum hosts rotating exhibitions of contemporary art while acting as another sculptural landmark within the campus. Together with the surrounding architecture, it transforms the entire property into a place where art, design, and landscape continuously interact. Guests are encouraged to explore the grounds on foot, discovering hidden villas, bamboo groves, and architectural surprises along the way.
A Retreat for Curious Minds
Despite its cultural significance, Sifang remains wonderfully peaceful. The forest setting creates a sense of quiet rarely associated with contemporary architecture, allowing guests to slow down and fully appreciate both the buildings and the landscape. Rather than overwhelming the senses, the project invites observation, reflection, and discovery. It is a destination designed as much for inspiration as relaxation.
Why It Works
Sifang Hotel succeeds because it completely redefines what a design hotel can be. Rather than relying on luxurious interiors alone, it offers an immersive architectural experience where internationally celebrated design, contemporary art, and untouched nature exist in remarkable harmony. Every walk through the grounds reveals another perspective, another building, another conversation between architecture and landscape. For travellers with a passion for architecture, design, and contemporary culture, few hotels anywhere in the world offer an experience quite as extraordinary as Sifang Hotel Nanjing.
