HOK and Atlantis Resorts and Residences have announced the opening of the Atlantis Sanya. Home to 1,314 guestrooms, the hotel debuted within a 48-story structure overlooking the South China Sea. The property boasts one of the world’s largest open-air aquariums, as well as exhibit space and a waterpark. Crowning the tower is a 78-foot-tall lantern that responds to the rhythm of the tower’s linear balconies. The building’s curtain wall is also crafted with a wave pattern that ripples upward to reinforce the fluidity of the overall design.
“Inspired by waves crashing against the island’s rocky coast, we designed the Atlantis tower to rise in two fin-like forms that are joined to create a dramatic massing,” says HOK senior principal of design Greg Cranford. “We conceived the building podium, including the main lobby rotunda, as a series of spiraling vortexes of water streaming away from the towers.”
The porte-cochère and reception area in the lobby frame views of the waterpark and the sea, while more than 320,000 square feet of retail, dining, and event space are housed within the podium. Also included onsite is the brand’s signature Atlantis Bridge suite on the penthouse level.
