THE WATERHOUSE at South Bund
Boutique Hotel
Shanghai, China
Boutique Hotel
Shanghai, China
Located by the new Cool Docks development on the South Bund District of Shanghai, the Waterhouse is a four-story, 19-room boutique hotel built into an existing three-story Japanese Army headquarters building from the 1930’s. The boutique hotel fronts the Huangpu River and looks across at the gleaming Pudong skyline. The architectural concept behind NHDRO’s renovation rests on a clear contrast of what is old and new. The original concrete building has been restored while new additions built over the existing structure were made using Cor-Ten steel, reflecting the industrial past of this working dock by the Huangpu River. NHDRO’s structural addition, on the fourth floor, resonates with the industrial nature of the ships which pass through the river, providing an analogous contextual link to both history and local culture.
NHDRO was also responsible for the design of the hotel’s interior, which is expressed through both a blurring and inversion of the interior and exterior, as well as between the public and private realms, creating a disorienting yet refreshing spatial experience for the hotel guest who longs for an unique five-star hospitality experience. The public spaces allow one to peek into private rooms while the private spaces invite one to look out at the public arenas, such as the large vertical room window above the reception desk and the corridor windows overlooking the dining room. These visual connections of unexpected spaces not only bring an element of surprise, but also force the hotel guests to confront the local Shanghai urban condition where visual corridors and adjacencies in tight nong-tang’s define the unique spatial flavor of the city.
Nowadays, boutique hotels are gaining attention as more and more people are getting more travel-savvy aiming to get the best experience possible. In the subject of experience which is before dominated only by the luxury hotels, boutique hotels presents a new and fresh accommodation experience. But what distinguishes a boutique hotel from a luxury hotel? Boutique Hotels are all about: “A Different Kind of Experience”.
ReplyDeleteThis kind of hotel’s intimate size produces its characteristic personal feeling and heady ambiance. Some luxury travelers enjoy the compact size and enveloping atmosphere of a boutique hotel. Others prefer feeling like observers in a big, busy luxury hotel.
Boutique hotels give an overall feel when you first walk in. Like Unlisted Collection ‘s The Waterhouse at South Bund hotel in Shanghai. It is a revamped historic hotel shop-house facade blends perfectly with the neighborhood, but inside, the juxtaposition of antique and modern, interior and exterior, provides a theatrical environment where guests can indulge their imaginations.
Get to know more about these kinds of boutique hotels at http://www.unlistedcollection.com/brand-showcase/