Friday, January 14, 2011

Fusing History With Style

You would never expect to find this incredibly chic hotel behind the concrete façade of what used to be a Japanese Army headquarters building from the 1930s. Shanghai's Waterhouse at South Bund is a fierce boutique hotel located by the new Cool Docks development on the South Bund District. Neri & Hu Design based its entire design concept on "a blurring or an inversion of internal & external spaces, creating a disorienting yet refreshing spatial experience for guests in search of something out of the ordinary" — winning them an 'Emerging Architecture Award' by the Royal Institute of British Architects. 
It's incredible to see how the designers managed to transform a rather nondescript and utilitarian structure into such a magnificent retreat that fuses cutting-edge with comfort. It must be so neat to stay in a place where you can feel its history just by looking at the scars and cracks on the exposed walls.

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