Formerly the site of Luogang Airport, the 323-hectare grounds were transformed into an urban park after the airport’s closure, later serving as the main venue for the 14th China (Hefei) International Garden Expo. NODE was invited to renovate two former airport dormitory buildings on Lot 3 of the Garden Expo Town, converting them into a hotel.

Guided by the concept of a “Ruins Forest,” the design seeks to honor the memory embedded in the old structures while cultivating an organic integration with nature. The timeworn buildings, bearing the traces of history, were adapted to merge their historical details with the functions of a contemporary hotel, offering guests a tactile and sensory spatial experience.

Preserving the original concrete frames, the renovation introduces steel structures, vegetation, and light-and-shadow interplay to create a spatial framework for continuous growth. At the heart of the transformation is a red pathway that threads through the ground floor, second floor, and rooftop of the two buildings. Serving simultaneously as the hotel’s public space and a three-dimensional promenade, it organically weaves together the various functional zones, creating a clear and continuous visitor route that evokes the layered experience of a “ruins forest.”

Between the two blocks, an atrium garden anchors both hotel operations and communal experience. This semi-open courtyard fuses the spirit of traditional gardens with contemporary design, offering a poetic place while forming a shared natural oasis for both guests and the public. The red ribbon accentuates visual drama and spatial connectivity, imparting unity and artistic resonance to the ensemble.