2025 | Professional

MUSE Design Awards Gold Winner

Seven Letters Exhibition Boutique Homestay Design

Entrant Company

Joy Leung

Category

Architectural Design - Cultural

Client's Name

Joy Leung

Country / Region

China

Seven Letters Exhibition Boutique Homestay, designed by Liang Yuji, reinterprets the meaning of dwelling in the mountains. Located in the Miao region of Xijiang, Guizhou, the 1000m² space explores the theme “Returning inward, exploring outward”, creating a design philosophy rooted in emotional comfort and cultural reflection. The project responds to modern fatigue and the yearning for simplicity, crafting an environment where architecture and nature converge harmoniously.

Materiality plays a pivotal role—locally sourced stone, burnt wood, old oak, bamboo weaving, and artistic finishes echo the heritage of the region while embracing contemporary expression. The spatial narrative transitions guests from the outer world into a realm of mountain serenity. Entryways are designed with subtlety, avoiding grand statements and instead inviting reflection. Upon entering, panoramic views unfold to reveal layered mountain scenes, immersing guests in light, air, and calm.

Functionality is deeply interwoven with aesthetics. The space adapts to varying user needs, offering flexibility through modular layouts, sensory touchpoints, and emotional design. The interplay between movement, view, and material enables a continuous dialogue between the guest and the space, emphasizing presence over performance.

What sets this project apart is its ability to turn every guest into a co-creator of the experience. Rather than passive hospitality, the design initiates a reciprocal interaction—guests contribute to the life of the space through their stories, and in return, the space nourishes their inner rhythm. It is a rare balance of rusticity and refinement, authenticity and vision.

As a response to shifting social aesthetics and cultural identity, Seven Letters sets a benchmark for meaningful, high-touch boutique hospitality. It offers not just accommodation, but an invitation to rediscover dwelling as a poetic, human, and emotional act—anchored in the land, yet open to the world.

Credits

Joy Leung
More Gold Winners
Product
2025
MUSE Design Awards - VD05 Dual-cam Video Doorbell

Entrant Company

Shenzhen Lingdu Auto Electronics Co., Ltd.

Category

Product Design - Security / Privacy

Interior
2025
MUSE Design Awards - Flow of Lustre

Entrant Company

Fong Yue Interior Design

Category

Interior Design - Residential 

Interior
2025
MUSE Design Awards - Art Between Light Threads

Entrant Company

U-Yard Interior Design Co., Ltd.

Category

Interior Design - Commercial 

Architectural
2025
MUSE Design Awards - XI 'AN OCT 108 PROJECT

Entrant Company

AOE DESIGN

Category

Architectural Design - Sustainable Living / Green