GUANGZHOU, CHINA—Mayland Seaside Hotel, a five-star hotel project to be situated along the Zhujiang River, will feature an architecture style focused on sensibility to social responsiveness, energy use, urbanism and ecological awareness. The hotel is currently in the design phase and is due to be completed in 2012-2013, according to Narendra Patel, Patel Architecture, Rancho Mirage, Calif.
The design provides for wind turbines on the upper portion of the tower and a massive array of photovoltaic panels covering the entire south façade. In the basement is a provision to incorporate a fuel cell power generator that would run on clean natural gas to efficiently produce electricity and heat for hot water. The proposed groundbreaking design of the 373-key Mayland Seaside Hotel would make it the first hotel in the world to be completely carbon-neutral.
The geometry of the tower is based on a simple faceted cylindrical geometry that maximizes repetition in the glazing panels in most areas. The shape of the south and eastern façades, with its sweeping curve, produces increased floor areas. Extensions of the façades beyond the enclosure of the tower building are trimmed like a sail on a yacht, the fins and sails serving to lessen effects of wind, sun and rain on the façade. They are clad with photovoltaic panels.
Includes Indoor/Outdoor Pool & Spa
The suspended steel-and-wood assemblage over the main entry provides an external social/public space and harmonizes the space between the lobby and the area outside of the entry. To extend the effect of transparency over the full day/night cycle, the lobby lighting will be designed with strong up-lights, so that the lobby ceiling inside and the suspended canopy outside appears as one, enhancing the sense of arrival. An inverted glass cone, reached by connecting walkway over the water, houses a lounge area and bar on the lobby floor and large ballroom on the second floor. The top of the glass cone will have an indoor/outdoor pool and spa.
Mayland Seaside Hotel will be the world’s first five-star hotel to include large-scale wind turbines in its structure. The hotel has three 8-meter diameter wind turbines expected to generate 300 megawatts per year. The locations of the turbines take maximum advantage of the air flow and for improved energy generation output.
Patel Architecture is taking advantage of the tropical sun, using solar electric panels on the south façade. The curtain wall design of the south glass wall will have photovoltaic technology integrated into more than 2,800 square meters of the façade glass. In all, the hotel’s photovoltaic technology will have a 280,000 kWh capacity.
