YOUNCH HOTEL
Muda-architects
ARCHITECTS
Muda-architects
LEAD ARCHITECT
Yun LU
DESIGN TEAM
Rong Dian, Chen Xiaoyi, Qi Fen, Wang Shuo
LIGHTING DESIGN
Dopi Studio
CONSTRUCTION TEAM
Guangxi Lvfa Architectural Decoration Engineering Co., Ltd.
MANUFACTURERS
BAILAMOE, KD, Nanogress
PHOTOGRAPHS
HereSpace, Pianfangstudio
AREA
3000 m²
YEAR
2025
LOCATION
Xi'an, China
CATEGORY
Hotels Interiors
English description provided by the architects.
Located in the historic Huangchengfang district of Xi'an, Younch Hotel is a 16-room boutique hotel designed by MUDA-Architects.
The project is situated near the northeast corner of the city's ancient walls, in close proximity to a Ming Dynasty gate tower.
The site is defined by the intersection of historical context and urban renewal, offering an opportunity to reinterpret the heritage of the thirteen-dynasty capital within a contemporary framework.
Guided by the concept of a "temporal vessel"—a spatial narrative that connects Xi'an's deep cultural heritage with the needs of modern travelers.
MUDA-Architects aimed to create a quiet, immersive environment where traditional Chinese spatial logic meets modern design language.
The hotel is conceived as a layered experience, where material, light, and shadow reflect both the past and the present.
The design unfolds as an immersive journey through time—where guests transition from the vibrant rhythm of Xi'an's streets into a calm, textural sanctuary.
Public spaces are envisioned as cultural galleries, filled with handcrafted ceramics, calligraphy, and seasonal gardens that evoke the passage of time.
Guestrooms embrace subtle materiality and natural light to create warmth and intimacy. Through texture, shadow, and proportion, the hotel offers a multi-sensory experience that dissolves the boundaries of eras.
The architecture and interior design employ a restrained yet rich palette of traditional materials reinterpreted through a contemporary lens.
Aged wood, raw stone, black-glazed ceramics, and hand-dyed linen are used throughout to reflect the tactile beauty of the region's craftsmanship.
Rammed earth textures recall the Loess Plateau, while bamboo weaving patterns capture fleeting moments of light and shadow.
Each material carries cultural memory while contributing to the calm, atmospheric environment that defines the hotel.
The sunken courtyard garden and tea room blur boundaries between indoor and outdoor, with seasonal plants and reflective pools shaping a living painting of tranquility.
A bronze spiral staircase leads to a subterranean dining and wellness area, where lighting mimics daylight to evoke the feel of a hidden grove.
Guestrooms range from 40 to 160㎡ and feature sloping ceiling lines referencing traditional Chinese roof forms, soft curves, and artwork inspired by Chang'an landscapes. Select suites offer private soaking pools and courtyard views.
By merging material authenticity with narrative clarity, Younch Hotel creates more than a place to stay—it becomes a living scroll of Xi'an's evolving story, where time becomes architecture, and architecture becomes memory.
