Transforming a disused sugar mill in China's mountainous Yangshuo County, Alila Yangshuo hotel is situated in a ridge between two of the karst mountains that makes this area in Guilin a popular tourist destination. Dong Gong and Vector Architects created a group of gabled masonry structures designed to complement the existing industrial architecture, dating from the 1960's, including a truss and wharf used for loading sugar cane onto boats.

"In order to create a sense of consistency, instead of simply copying the old materiality and texture, we try to seek this nuance where we use more contemporary materials and construction methods while retaining the tinge and masonry structure of the old," said Dong Gong.