Lost Villa. Huanglong Island Lighthouse Hotel designed by WJ STUDIO
Lost Villa, the Huanglong Island Lighthouse Hotel, is situated in the northeastern Zhoushan Islands of Zhejiang Province, approximately 2.5 hours by ferry from Zhoushan Main Island. While Huanglong Island is designated as part of Shengsi’s core development zone in the regional plan, limited ferry access has historically constrained tourism and economic activity. The island is also experiencing rural depopulation: in the absence of new industrial investment, the population has aged, and community vitality has diminished in recent years.
Informed by a comprehensive understanding of Huanglong Island’s strategic positioning, the hotel was envisioned as a catalyst for developing a short-stay tourist destination. Positioned on Dongjutou Cape, the island’s easternmost point, the Lighthouse Hotel leverages its dramatic topography, with elevation changes of nearly 30 meters, as well as native rock formations and vegetation, to create a distinctive destination experience.
Adhering to a principle of minimal intervention, the architectural design divides the building into interlocking, staircase-like modules, anchored between three native protected reefs on independent foundations that harmonize with the natural landscape and the village context. The hotel comprises two structures, Block A and Block B, connected by an outdoor walkway that descends along the ridge, offering visitors an immersive island experience.
Block A centers on a spacious, open rock hall. At its foundation, naturally weathered reef stones are preserved in their original state, with the building serving as a protective canopy. This design invites guests to engage closely with the rock's textures. By intentionally blurring the line between interior and exterior, the space becomes a medium for immersive perception and enriched experience.
The guest rooms in Block B are inspired by the spatial patterns of traditional island villages. Each room consists of three relatively independent volumes, with their orientation and window placement thoughtfully calibrated to the varying sunrise directions of winter and summer. This approach frames curated views of the surrounding landscape and enhances the guest experience.
Instead of imposing new structures, this project reinterprets the island’s traditional patterns of life and production as a contemporary, experiential, and sustainable narrative. In this way, it transforms demographic change into an opportunity, establishing a new model for island-specific ecological tourism rooted in authentic experience.
About the Designer and Design Company
Hu Zhile
Hu Zhile
WJ STUDIO Founding Partner & Design Principal
Hu Zhile believes that design is a way of thinking. He’s design approach starts from understanding urban relationships. In his designs, he not only emphasizes the continuity and scenario-based nature of the interior and exterior spaces of buildings, but also pays greater attention to the thinking behind the design form. He believes that form possesses deeper meanings, and design must confront the essence of space. Through continuous thinking and practice, He has accumulated rich experience in hotel, urban renewal, cultural, office, and special exploratory projects.
Before founded WJ STUDIO in 2015, Hu fulfilled his career as a professional architect working for PROSHIMA in Japan and GOA in China, positioned as design director and project manager. He also worked as the technical manager of China for the first project of renowned architect Renzo Piano in China.
WJ STUDIO
"Beyond design" is the guiding philosophy that WJ STUDIO adheres to in its relentless pursuit of creating exceptional architectural spaces.
Under its PRO-LAB research division, WJ STUDIO approaches design as a way of thinking, fostering innovation through interdisciplinary collaboration with experts and scholars from diverse fields. From a multifaceted perspective, their work transcends mere stylistic forms, striving instead to deliver a holistic expression that seamlessly integrates culture and content.
As a young, energetic and passionate team, by the leadership of its founding partner Hu Zhile, WJ STUDIO has won many international design awards including Andrew Martin International Interior Design Awards, Hospitality Design Awards, World Architecture Festival (WAF/INSIDE), LIV Hospitality Design Awards, Good Design Award, Architizer A+ Awards, Paris Design Award, AD100 , etc.
Web: