Atlantis Sanya Resort

The design for this guestroom luxury resort hotel reinterprets the myth of Atlantis on Hainan Island.

Derived from the crashing of the South China Sea against the island’s rocky coast—once considered to be the end of the earth—the tower rises in two fin-like forms to create a dramatic massing. The building podium, including the main lobby rotunda, is conceived as a series of spiraling vortexes of water streaming away from the towers.

Capping the 55-story tower is a 79-foot-high lantern that pulls the rhythm of the tower’s continuous linear balconies up to its peak. The curtain wall and balcony rails incorporate a waved frit that appears to send ripples up the building, reinforcing the fluid nature of the design.

Pushing the building core back to the arrival side of the tower introduces a subtle inflection to the plan that allows the guestrooms to be angled toward beach and ocean views.

The podium includes more than 320,000 square feet of retail, restaurants and conference space. The signature Atlantis Bridge Suite is on the tower’s penthouse level.

The arrival porte cochere and lobby reception are developed on an axis with views of the waterpark and ocean. They also provide a strong cross-axial orientation to the signature Lost Chambers Aquarium beyond.

The project owner is Fosun International Limited, and the resort is operated by Kerzner International Holdings Limited.