White Swan Hotel

The White Swan Hotel, whose landscape renovation was undertaken by GVL, has been open for over two years since its reopening. As Guangzhou's most venerable five-star hotel, it has not only restored its bustling guest numbers but also continued to receive multiple industry awards, with its landscape regeneration achievements drawing attention from media and professional circles. The White Swan Hotel is located on Shamian Island in Guangzhou, adjacent to the Pearl River. Shamian is one of China's earliest concession areas, so the hotel is enveloped within a historic district, with its northern side facing the passage of time and its southern side touching the waters of Guangdong. The original water feature stood at 1.1 meters in height, with varying levels creating a cascading effect. However, due to floor load constraints, the water feature height was adjusted to 48 centimeters. This adjustment unexpectedly opened up sightlines, creating the effect of a large mirror that highlights the building entrance and adds depth to the facade. Yingde peak stones, produced in Yingde, Guangdong, are among China's four famous garden stones, characterized by their wrinkled, slender, perforated, and open qualities, and strongly associated with the Lingnan garden tradition. Three preserved Yingde stones are placed as standalone specimens within the plaza water feature, resembling parrots announcing the news, and have become a signature entrance landscape of the White Swan. The one pond, three islands garden concept was realized by designing the combined green islands as a landscape pool that embraces the three Ying stones, establishing visual connections and shaping landscape wholeness. This approach not only aligns with the water-based renovation concept but also realizes the classical one pond, three mountains garden model. Extending the water-based concept, a water feature was also installed at the north entrance, where it functions as a traffic island organizing pedestrian and vehicular circulation, addressing mixed-traffic needs while projecting a high-end modern hotel image. To echo the white of the building, the design team selected Snow White marble as the primary material for the water feature after repeated screening, chosen for being the closest match to swan white. The material is exceptionally clean, serene, and elegant, perfectly suited to the White Swan's character. The bottom of the water feature uses black galaxy marble; the perfect pairing of black and white unifies the hotel's overall image. The outer form of the water feature includes curved chamfered edges that prevent pedestrian and vehicle scrapes while echoing the White Swan logo. To reduce the visual weight of the large basin, the pool edge was given an overhanging treatment, making the water feature appear lighter and more dynamic. LED strips were installed along the edge to outline the graceful silhouette of the pool at night, creating a floating, weightless feeling. The design team removed the original low and cluttered flower beds at the entrance while preserving an existing street tree, seeking to continue the traditional character of Shamian's streets. However, the tree's location overlapped with the planned pool. The team resolved this through an overhead isolation approach that preserved both the water body's integrity and the tree's health.