[双语]琼楼玉宇入云端——拉萨瑞吉度假酒店

Designing a 162-room hotel is a challenge for any architect.  St. Regis Lhasa拉萨瑞吉度假酒店
设计一座拥有162个房间的酒店对于任何一位建筑师来说都是一个挑战。
   
Trying to do it at 3,600 meters (nearly 12,000 feet) above sea level and adhering to the cultural concerns of Lhasa, the capital city of Tibet? That's raising the stakes.
要在海拔3600米(近12,000英尺)的西藏首府拉萨设计建造这么一座酒店，并且还要紧密贴合当地的文化，更是难上加难。
   
For two and a half years, Jean-Michel Gathy, principle designer of Denniston International Architects & Planners Ltd., based in Kuala Lumpur, struggled with the obstacles of creating the eight-acre St. Regis Lhasa Resort.
总部位于吉隆玻的Denniston International Architects & Planners Ltd.的首席设计师让•蜜雪儿•加蒂(Jean-Michel Gathy)耗时两年半，努力克服种种障碍，建造了这座占地八英亩的拉萨瑞吉度假酒店(St. Regis Lhasa Resort)。
   
'Because it was so cold during the winters, we had to stop building for three months of the year,' says the architect, whose other projects include the Aman at Summer Palace and the One & Only Reethi-Rah resort in the Maldives.
这位建筑师说，由于当地冬季的气候非常寒冷，一年当中有三个月的时间不得不停工。他的其他作品还包括颐和园边上的安缦颐和酒店(Aman at Summer Palace)和马尔代夫的One & Only Reethi-Rah度假村。
   
The St. Regis Lhasa Resort soft-opened in November. Mr. Gathy tells us why Tibet may be one of the most demanding places to create a luxury property.
拉萨瑞吉度假酒店从去年11月份开始试营业。就建造一座豪华酒店而言，西藏可能是全世界难度最大的地方之一，加蒂向我们解释了个中缘由。
   
Painting it red: When choosing your color palette, beware of using ox-blood red, a shade reserved for temples and religious buildings.
把外墙刷成红色：当你选择颜色时，要慎用牛血红，这是一种专门用在寺庙和其他宗教建筑上的色调。
   
'It's a beautifully dramatic color,' says Mr. Gathy. 'I have one wall in the front courtyard that's painted in this color, but in order to get around [the culture surrounding the use of it], we had to cover it up with a lattice on top.'
加蒂说，“这是一种非常漂亮的、引人注目的色彩。我把前院的一堵墙刷成了这种颜色，但是，为了避开使用这种颜色所带来的宗教文化意味，我们不得不在外面罩上一层网格。”
   
Buddha on high: The placement of Buddha statues must be done with respect, says Mr. Gathy. As a rule of thumb, statues should be placed higher than pedestrian eye level, so people look up at them.
把佛像放置在高处：加蒂说，在放置佛像时必须非常尊敬他们。作为一项经验法则，佛像应该被供奉在高于行人水平视线的地方，这样人们就可以仰视他们。
   
'There are very sensitive cultural issues that you have to understand when designing something in Tibet,' he says. 'Everything is scrutinized.'
他说，“当你在西藏设计某件东西时，必须考虑非常敏感的文化因素。要仔细检查每一处细节。”
   
Avoiding stairs: With altitude sickness being a serious concern for travelers to Tibet, why is it that Mr. Gathy raised the first floor of the hotel by more than 10 meters? 'We wanted it to be level with the Potala, the main temple at Lhasa. That way guests can get the perfect view,' he says. What's more, all the public areas — except for the small Tibetan restaurant in the resort are located on the same floor so guests need not go up and down stairs. Oxygen tanks are also available throughout the premises.
避免使用楼梯：高原反应是到西藏旅游的客人们所面临的一个严重问题，既然如此，加蒂为何要将这座酒店的第一层加高10多米呢？他说，“我们希望酒店的高度与拉萨最主要的寺庙布达拉宫齐平，这样一来，客人就能领略到完美的景致。”另外，除了小型藏族餐厅外，这座度假酒店中的所有公共区域都位于同一层，这样，客人就不需要上下楼梯了。而且在整座建筑物内，到处都备有氧气罐。
   
Making do with materials: Certain materials are not readily available in Tibet, says Mr. Gathy. 'I wanted to use timber for the windows, but only aluminum was available. As a designer, you have to realize you can't have everything.'
应陋就简地利用当地的材料：加蒂称，在西藏，有些材料很难获得。他说，“我本想用木材来制作窗户，但最后只能用铝合金。作为一名设计师，你必须认识到你不可能获得你想要的所有材料。”
   
Finding talent: It takes a lot of construction know-how to build a property like the St. Regis, says Mr. Gathy. 'The way things are finished off and milled and joined together that's all methodology local labor is not familiar with.' Many of the components were prefabricated in eastern China and then transported to Tibet for simple installation.
寻找能工巧匠：加蒂说，建造像瑞吉假日酒店这样的建筑物需要很多建筑方面的专业知识。制作、加工和组装的方法都不为本地工人所熟悉。许多构件都是在中国东部预制的，然后运到西藏进行简单的组装。
   
Creating the mood: You may think of Tibet as peaceful and meditative landscape, but the site of the hotel was in fact the former city hall compound. 'It is by an open road and so there is a lot of traffic and noise,' says Mr. Gathy. He resolved the problem by building a four-meter-high wall around the complex and a manmade oasis — a large lake, or reflective pool, surrounded by lush and mature trees.
营造气氛：也许你会认为西藏是一个安静平和、引人沉思的地方，但实际上这座酒店却坐落于原先的市政厅。加蒂说，这个地方紧邻一条开阔的道路，因此车流量和噪音很大。他的解决之道是：在酒店四周筑起一道四米高的围墙和一个人造的绿洲——也就是一个被郁郁葱葱的大树所环绕的大湖，或者说倒影池。