Bill Bensley currently lives and works in Bangkok - Thailand. He is the author of many famous hotels in the world, in Vietnam there are also 3 of his great works: MGallery Hotel de la Coupole (Sapa), InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort (Da Nang) and JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay (Phu Quoc). Each project designed by him is "unique", receiving many prestigious architectural awards around the world. Bill Bensley is also known as the "wizard" of the architects.
Designer Bill Bensley
Five years ago, when a client asked him to design a resort with a zoo in Wuchuan, Guangdong Province, China, Bensley turned the question around. Why not build an animal resort with a human zoo inside? Why not let wild animals watch humans, instead of humans watching them?
The Colony: Bill Bensley designed the Hilton hotel at WorldWild preserve based on an African termite mound
The Hilton Colony Lodge will be built in the African savanna and feature a mwamba swimming pool.
The design of the restaurants at The Hilton Colony Lodge resort shows that diners will eat inside large African cooking pots.
Bensley's idea to build WorldWild was not intended to be shocking. He is a conservationist and has a deep concern for the impact of humans on the earth. Therefore, his designs all pay attention to the natural ecosystem. And after many serious discussions, the Guangdong government agreed to give Bensley 2,000 hectares of land to build the WorldWild reserve. Of which, Bensley set aside 5% of the area to build a "human zoo" with 2,400 "cages" for people to live in. 95% of the large surrounding area is an area where rare Chinese animals can freely roam and live.
Bensley will dedicate 95% of the sanctuary to animals and 5% to humans.
The human zoo is essentially a five-star hotel chain, and the 2,400 “cages” are actually rooms for visitors to stay in. The budget to build each room is $1 million. And instead of walking around freely to see the animals, visitors will stay in rooms overlooking the surrounding area, allowing the animals to move freely outside and “look” back at them. Bensley said the first phase of the WorldWild project will last eight years, including many top-brand hotels. This first phase is expected to open and welcome guests in 2023.
Dzong hotel design in the Asian steppe region features many Buddhist architectural features of Bhutan, Tibet, Ladakh and Nepal
Bill Bensley invited renowned zoologist James Morrison to join the project. The two of them drew up a list of animals that would be included in the WorldWild reserve. One of them was the pangolin, a wild animal that was at risk of extinction because it was considered a favorite food by the locals.
Morrison hopes that the WorldWild sanctuary can become a common home for many animals that have been harmed by human abuse. Bill Bensley's "people-watching" project, although somewhat bold and crazy, will certainly contribute to changing people's awareness of preserving the wild world and the natural environment.
The Australian grasslands area in WorldWide features brightly colored buildings
Proposal to build 220-room Waldorf Astoria hotel at WorldWild near the banks of "Fish River"
In addition, Bensley plans to build 4 different train lines named Oriental Expresso, Tasmanian Tiger, Iron Horse and Africa Queen. Each line will have 7 stops. At each stop, there will be a children's theater serving 10-15 year olds. The theaters will show movies and plays about the animal world to inspire love of nature and environmental protection.
Bensley knows that fighting for wildlife in China will be difficult. However, he still hopes to change the perception of the people in this country about wildlife protection. What Bensley feels is the best thing is that the local government also thinks the same and supports him. His goal is that WorldWild will change the minds of 10 million Chinese people each year, and that the place will attract 99% of its guests to be domestic, instead of international.
