NoXbase Hotel by ClubBuildShop Architects

NoXbase Hotel reimagines hospitality by prioritizing flexibility, freedom, and user interaction. The design responds to the idea of a structure that is as adaptable and open as a park, capable of hosting a wide variety of activities such as camping, outdoor markets, events, and leisure experiences. Unlike conventional hotels, NoXbase is conceived as a rapidly deployable “shell”, where architecture supports activities rather than dictating them. Its design emphasizes the coexistence of built space and natural surroundings, ensuring that the structure itself can blend seamlessly with the landscape while leaving the outdoor environment fully functional.

The hotel occupies a green, park-like site, where the public areas are organized to provide maximum adaptability. Two large greenhouses form the central component of the design. These steel-frame structures, clad with PVC panels, act as simplified yet durable envelopes that accommodate a wide range of interior layouts. The open design ensures that the interior can transition smoothly between functions, whether as an outdoor hotel, urban resort, event venue, off-road base, cycling hub, or mountain retreat. Through careful integration of MEP systems, these spaces remain fully operational while retaining complete spatial flexibility.

Public Areas: Seamless Indoor-Outdoor Connection

The ground floor is the core of the public experience. It hosts communal functions including reception, dining areas, bar, café, activity sandpit, and onsen hall, all designed with visual and circulatory transparency. The spatial organization allows for continuous interaction between interior courtyards and exterior landscapes, fostering a sense of immersion in nature. Material selection emphasizes natural tones and textures, while greenery arrangements reinforce the feeling of a park environment. The architects describe the building as capable of “vanishing” while leaving the park fully functional on its own, highlighting the structure’s subtle presence within its setting.

The public spaces also adopt elements inspired by Japanese onsen culture, combined with a modern urban aesthetic. Materials, façade treatments, and seating arrangements create a harmonious blend of urban sophistication and natural immersion. Through the careful integration of oyu (urban bathhouse) facilities with park views, even routine experiences such as bathing become immersive, social, and visually engaging. The design encourages guests to engage with the environment in unexpected and playful ways.

Guest Rooms: A Camping-Inspired “Shell”

Guest accommodations continue the concept of a flexible shell, merging comfort with the joy of outdoor living. Each room provides essential facilities such as water and electricity, while maintaining a sense of permeability and connection to the public terraces. Boundaries between indoor and outdoor spaces are deliberately blurred, allowing guests to experience a continuum of space rather than a confined room. The design prioritizes user agency, enabling guests to shape their experience of the room according to personal preferences.

From the outset, NoXbase adopted mockup rooms to test the potential of flexible layouts. These experiments guided the development of guest accommodations, ensuring that each space could support diverse configurations. The goal is not only comfort but also the personal imprint of the guest, allowing rooms to become extensions of individual creativity and expression. This approach reinforces the hotel’s philosophy that architecture should be responsive, participatory, and evolving.

Adaptability and Programmatic Diversity

A core principle of NoXbase is the ability to accommodate evolving activities over time. The modular design allows the hotel to transform rapidly: open courtyards can host markets, event spaces can convert to temporary stages, and lawns can serve as picnic areas or recreation zones. Whether the program requires large-scale gatherings, intimate social spaces, or quiet relaxation, the architecture adapts to meet the demands without losing coherence. This adaptability reflects a new approach to hospitality, where the environment and activities define the experience, rather than rigid architectural forms.

By prioritizing flexibility, minimalism, and integration with nature, NoXbase creates a hospitality model that responds to both the needs of the guests and the surrounding landscape. The project demonstrates how temporary and semi-permanent structures can provide meaningful, high-quality experiences without resorting to excessive built mass. The design emphasizes sustainability, user engagement, and playful interaction, redefining the relationship between architecture and outdoor leisure.

Materiality and Aesthetic Approach

Material choices throughout NoXbase reflect its lightweight, deployable, and flexible philosophy. Steel frames provide structural stability while PVC panels ensure transparency and adaptability. The interior features simple, durable finishes, combined with natural greenery to reinforce the connection to the surrounding landscape. Guest furniture and communal fittings are selected for modularity and comfort, aligning with the hotel’s ethos of participatory design and spatial freedom.

A New Model for Experiential Hospitality

NoXbase Hotel exemplifies a shift in contemporary hospitality: from rigid, fixed buildings toward adaptive, experience-driven environments. By combining flexible public areas, immersive natural integration, and guest-centered accommodations, the project offers a new paradigm in which the architecture supports activity, rather than dictating it. Guests are encouraged to explore, interact, and personalize their experience, redefining what a hotel can be in both urban and wilderness contexts.

This innovative approach positions NoXbase as a landmark project in experimental hospitality design, illustrating the potential of architecture to merge flexibility, sustainability, and social engagement into a cohesive, dynamic, and memorable experience for all visitors.

Photography: Qiang Shen & Zhijun Wang