Brickyard Retreat Renovation of Beigou Village

Brickyard Retreat experienced a long journey until it finally became a heritage hotel. Located in Beigou Village, Huairou District, Beijing, which is rich in cultural heritage and landscapes, the building of this hotel was once a glazed tile factory.

Brickyard Retreat, a heritage hotel in Beigou Village, Huairou District, Beijing.

After changing ownership several times, Brickyard Retreat new appears due to the revitalization and preservation of village culture with sustainable strategies and ecological approaches. llLab, the studio that is believed of renovating Brickyard Retreat, designed this hotel with various considerations so that the cultural heritage contained in it will remain well protected.

View of the hotel from above with two courtyards as the main focus of its renovation.

llLab explained that at least three main elements of the Brickyard Retreat building are the main concern. These elements include glazed tiles, an old kiln, and red bricks, reflecting the factory's cultural heritage, the architectural history of the space, and the local culture of the village. Therefore, llLab utilizes these three elements to think about the design of the space and the landscape. As a result, the design of the Brickyard Retreat will honor the original character of natural materials that have existed for a long time. In addition, this project is also an illustration of how harmonious the relationship between humans and nature is.

The south courtyard of the hotel.

The hotel's south and north courtyards are arranged in its space program to support each other's surrounding rooms. The southern courtyard adjoins the natural-looking multifunctional reception room due to a mosaic of brightly colored glazed tiles all over its floor. Meanwhile, the northern courtyard offers a different vision by adding volume from the red brick that accommodates the open view of the Mutianyu Great Wall. With this volume, the design of the northern courtyard can also focus more on its perception of nature and landscape.

North courtyard of the hotel with a new volume of bricks.

Up close view of the new volume standing on the north page.

IILab gave special attention to the old kiln, the most historic part of the Brickyard Retreat. They only placed one other interior wall for safety and comfort reasons to retain the texture of the original structure. Because of the minimal intervention in this room, visitors can better interpret the cultural heritage stored in it. Furthermore, the arched terrace, which was expanded to become the main entrance to the hotel, also played a role in highlighting the cultural heritage exuded by the old kiln.

Hotel entrance under an expanded terrace.

 Old kiln with mosaic flooring of glazed tiles.

In the end, the Brickyard Retreat renovation project successfully demonstrated the existence of historical spaces in the countryside through critical cultural significance. Furthermore, with an inclusive approach, llLab has successfully made its design concept more focused on landscape design and local architectural language.

The interior of the old kiln that still keeps the texture of the original structure.

Master plan.

Intervention methodologies.