DESIGN
Villa living areas are characterized by refined wooden interiors and Aman ’ s signature Asianinflected , minimalist design aesthetic .
Many of the antique villas bear ornate stone carvings and inscriptions that depict family hopes and histories . belonging ,” in Hill ’ s words .
The architects had their own challenges – “ how to make Amanyangyun feel as though it had always been there , and that the forest had grown around it for many , many years ,” Dan Pearson says .
Likewise for Hill , whose first challenge was the “ blank canvas ” site , with no terrain or landmarks to seed the masterplan .
Hill says his firm turned to Chinese urban design principles to develop a grain , scale and hierarchy that felt appropriate to the place . The public spaces of Amanyangyun drew reference from institutions such as the Forbidden City . Inspiration for the villa streets and courtyards came from visits to villages in Jiangxi province .
Each house is a self-contained world , with a composition of courtyards , semi-external and enclosed spaces . The generous proportions of the spaces and their sequence make the houses very special ,
Aman Spa encompasses thermal facilities , a state-ofthe-art fitness center , two swimming pools and a yoga and Pilates studio overlooking a reflection pond .
36 hotelsmag . com March 2018