The Lost Villa · Huanglong Island Lighthouse Hotel project by WJ STUDIO represents a sophisticated architectural and planning intervention that addresses complex socio-economic and geographical challenges. Situated on Huanglong Island within the remote Zhoushan Archipelago, the project’s primary obstacles included significant logistical isolation due to lengthy multi-modal travel requirements and a declining local population, a common issue in many of China’s rural areas resulting from prolonged urban migration.

WJ STUDIO’s design philosophy for The Lost Villa · Huanglong Island Lighthouse Hotel is structured around a conceptual framework of temporal dimensions — natural, historical, and human time — which collectively inform a strategy that seeks to integrate new development with the existing environmental and cultural fabric rather than overwrite it. This approach is manifested in a meticulous master plan that prioritizes the preservation of the island’s unique geological features, its historical village layout with distinctive stone architecture, and the creation of a sequenced, immersive journey for visitors.

Image Credit: Tian Fangfang