BLVD transforms the local traditional cultural symbols, folk materials and Chinese colours of Wuxi, China, into the hotel’s design methods and elements, creating a tapestry of oriental aesthetics.
The hotel lobby is conceptualised to embody the spirit of being close to nature. The overall dark colour and material scheme conveys a sense of calm. The designers also used a large Taihu stone (a type of local limestone and a cultural symbol of Wuxi) as art installation at the lobby lounge.
The all-day dining restaurant is inspired by the Nanchang Street neighbourhood. The designers used the abstract features of the downtown to design the open buffet table. The simple and symbolic ancient building language—the walls, tiles, wooden windows, as well as the square form of a courtyard-style, bamboo tube, free-standing house in the river—is weaved into the design to emphasise rich local characteristics. The restaurant also included Japanese patterns and texture of bamboo, rattan, wood and other natural materials.
The tea room used Qingshui bricks to complement the green acrylic-embellished walls, metal copper Chinese-styled screens and polished stone floors, giving the space a harmonious ambience.
Both the gym and the swimming pool used floor-to-ceiling windows to maximise the scenic views surrounding the hotel.
With the Yangtze River in the north and Taihu Lake in the south, the hotel’s design incorporated elements of water such as the wave patterns on the aisle carpets of the rooms and in the paintings. The design of the rooms is refined, bringing a sense of relaxation to the guests and highlighting the hotel’s Chinese artistic direction. — Construction+ Online
PROJECT DATA
Project Name: Wuxi Hualuxe Hotel
Location: Wuxi, China
Completion Date: 1 August 2017
Site Area: 4,000 square metres
Gross Floor Area: 29,980 square metres
Building Height: 44 storeys
Number of Rooms: 302
Client/Owner/Developer: Huaxi Group
Architecture Firm: Institute of Shanghai Architectural Design and Research Co, Ltd
Interior Design Firm: BLVD International
Principal Designer: Honglei Liu
Civil & Structural Engineer: Institute of Shanghai Architectural Design and Research Co, Ltd
Mechanical & Electrical Engineer: KKS International China Co, Ltd
Lighting Consultant: LEOX Lighting Co, Ltd
Images: BLVD International
