The Journey of a Stranger—Qibie Arcadia
Credits
Company / Customer
Designer
Year
2026
Location
Qibie Village, Weixi Lisu Autonomous County, Yunnan (CN)
Disciplines
Architecture
Category
Hospitality
Award
Best of Best
Details
Qibie Arcadia is a renovation project in Weixi Lisu Autonomous County. With the use of local materials and support from local craftsmen, the architects were able to preserve the existing way of life while creating comfortable spaces for sojourners to live alongside villagers for weeks. They kept the original kitchen with its fire stove and added a bar, dining area, and curved wooden platforms to soften boundaries. The aim of the project is to foster bonds between strangers, turning a short stay into a meaningful sojourn.
The Jury‘s Statement
Under the roof of this guesthouse in the Chinese province of Yunnan, architectural, cultural, and social elements come together to create a new hospitality experience. Only traditional construction methods and regional building materials were used—consistently executed with the expertise of local craftspeople. Particularly forward-thinking is the concept of the inner courtyard, which is not viewed as an isolated part of the complex but as an integral part of the village fabric. Shared spaces here foster a sense of immediate closeness and facilitate interaction with the local community. The result is not a conventional hotel, but an authentic place to stay, firmly rooted in everyday life and offering an unusual, intense form of hospitality.
