Text by Werner Maritsas
Opened last July, The Waterhouse at South Bund, is an ultra chic boutique hotel, located in the old docklands, in Shanghai. The hotel is a totally renovated by Neri & Hu Research and Design Office (NHRDO), one of the leading architectural teams in China.
The building`s concrete shell and many of the old walls remain in their original condition, while new elements sprout out of the old, defining public and private spaces and creating a contrast between the two. Private and public is switched, ”Guests grazing through the buildings public areas are granted vantage points into private space, while guests taking respite in what would conventionally be secluded space are able to observe the public realm while doing so.” The architects felt this concept would result in a more exciting hotel experience, and provide a strong identifying mark for the hotel.
The Waterhouse hotel is on the HOT list of Conde Nast Traveller for 2011
All photographs are by Pedro Pegenaute.
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