Hakkasan and Ritz-Carlton architect to unveil new Chinese wineries

An architectural firm which manages developments for luxury hotel groups is wrapping up the construction of two new winery resorts in China, as the nation continues to build a reputation for world-class wines.

(Photo: SB Architects)

SB Architects, which designs sites for hotel chains such as Hakkasan Group, Ritz-Carton and Hilton, announced plans to open Golden Pebble Winery in Dalian, the first winery resort to open in China’s Liaoning Province, later this year.

Golden Pebble will encompass “a true master plan concept” according to an emailed statement from the firm, with a welcome centre, full-production winery, a boutique hotel, and commercial and residential villages.

The Liaodong Peninsula, located in the north east of China, is already a popular holiday destination in China thanks to its beaches and a proliferation of golf resorts.

Located on 200 hectares, the resort is surrounded by hillside villages, with the residences tucked into upper reaches of the hills, which SB hopes will provide “expansive views of surrounding vineyards.”

It has also just completed its development of Luneng Wen’an Winery & Hotel in southern Beijing, which encompasses two hotels and a full production winery.

Luneng Wen’an Winery & Hotel opened in 2018 (Photo: SB Architects)

The 400-room hotel sits upon an island in the middle of a lake in south Beijing, and includes a European Chateau-style winey accessed solely by bridges.

SB has previously worked on wine estates in both the USA and Europe, including the renovation of Freemark Abbey winery in California’s Napa Valley.

SB Architects — which is is widely known for its architectural work in the hospitality, mixed-use, urban design and residential space — has been at the helm of several other projects in China, including Dragon Elephant Valley International Resort in Nanning, Guangxi, and Hilton Fuxian Lake in Kunming, but only recently ventured into Chinese winery resorts.