As part of a new resort development set in a spectacular Shanghai forest, the new Hotel Cascada will set the standard for its design and character. There will be a series of lakeside, day-lit atrium entryways that will act as a public connection between the resort’s various water activities. The transparent box of the bar at the ground level further activates these spaces, providing a public backdrop to the of the resort’s centers of guest engagement and the guest drop-off. The 200-room hotel at the center of the resort is manifested through a series of stepped terraces that allow for the maximum amount of rooms while giving every unit an incredible view of the lake. Renewable materials, particularly the use of cladding, as well as the articulation of sun-shading elements, create a strong connection between the architecture and the ecological character of the site.