Jiangnan Yangzhou Guanling House by B.L.U.E. Architecture Studio: Preserving Heritage, Creating Hospitality

Landmark Urban Renewal Project in Yangzhou

Located in the historic Guanling district, the Jiangnan Yangzhou Guanling House became the flagship project of the city's first wave of urban renewal. Previously home to the beloved Subei Cinema, it has now been transformed into a hotel complex that bridges the past and present. Preserving cultural fabric, the project reflects the city's ambition to revive heritage and create modern spaces for living and hospitality.

Cinema Becomes Hotel Lobby

The heart of the hotel is its lobby — formerly the Subei Cinema hall. B.L.U.E. Architecture Studio's design celebrates this cinematic past, adapting the space for contemporary use.

• Preservation: Original wooden trusses remain exposed, serving as a bright reminder of the cinema's structure.

• Cultural Overlay: The cinema screen is retained, defining the new hotel's place within its historical identity.

• Garden Idea: The central wooden pond and corridor inside reflect classical Yangzhou gardens, blurring the boundaries between interior and exterior.

• Materials: Old birch wood, natural stone flooring, and plywood elements from lumber with sawtooth oak evoke the atmosphere of an old city, while terraces and vintage steel details recall the character of 20th-century cinema.

Local artists were invited to reimagine scenes once shown at Subei Cinema, presented through wooden engravings and carving, poetic nods to Yangzhou's cultural memory.

New Buildings: Repurposed Gardens

Two new buildings expand the function of guest rooms, restaurant and sauna. Their design draws inspiration from Yangzhou garden forms — pavilions, terraces and corridors that shape spatial movement.

• Tower-style Rooms: Rising and projecting, second-floor rooms offer expansive views reminiscent of Yangzhou's tower silhouettes.

• Materials: Bamboo-form concrete, repurposed grey brick and slate tiles blend modern construction with tactile qualities of traditional courtyards.

• Sauna and Spa: Semi-transparent brick walls protect the private spa garden. Folding doors and sliding windows allow interiors to fully open into the garden, creating a seamless nature-filled bathing experience.

Guest Rooms: Memory Meets Modern Comfort

The hotel offers 40 rooms, designed as a balance between preserving historical architecture and modern hospitality.

• Rooms in Historic Building: Wooden structures and facades were preserved, while heating, cooling and bathrooms are discreetly integrated.

• Design: Minimalist layouts highlight comfort and spaciousness, maintaining warmth of natural materials — wood, stone, textured plaster, hand-laid brick and laminated glass.

• Artisan Integration: Handcrafted woodwork, aged copper leaf and local wooden engravings recall Yangzhou's artisan traditions.

Renovation of buildings #2 and #7 preserved original facades, enhanced with metal grilles, planters and vertical greenery. This not only improves corridor ecological quality but also strengthens the dialogue between heritage and modernity.

A Model of Cultural Preservation in Hospitality

The Jiangnan Yangzhou Guanling House is more than a hotel — it's an architectural story of multifaceted Yangzhou history. Through sensitive preservation, adaptive reuse and modern hospitality design, the project redefines what it means to live in an ancient city.

Connecting past and present, the design makes the hotel a cultural destination and a living archive of Yangzhou's urban memory.