Refreshing Asian expressions can be found at the new Wanchai2 in Hong Kong writes Jessica Niles DeHoff.
May 8th, 2013
Designed by Gary Chang of Edge Design Institute, Wanchai2 reflects the city of Hong Kong with its unique merging of traditional Chinese and modern design influences.
While the entry sequence is unusual – one must first find a relatively modest doorway off the street, then take the lift to the hotel proper on the third flloor – once there, a compelling visitor experience awaits.
In the hotel lobby, a long modular screen recalls the abacus, and a ceiling turns out to be made of drawer fronts like those found in a traditional medicine shop. Leading towards the terrace, a nostalgic and colourful floral pattern of tiles, a familiar bit of old Hong Kong, peeks through the neutral grey flooring. These are the more complex local references in the hotel’s design, but elsewhere in the building a simpler approach is taken with antique chairs, chests, and other furnishings filling in display areas and punctuating corridors.
Traditional seating can be found in the rooms as well, and the black-and-red colour scheme of lacquer ware shows up in closets and drawers. Chang is known for his intelligent solutions for small spaces and storage units, and in this project he has come up with many space-saving devices: even the television screens are out of the way, set into window walls that can be covered with curtains when not in use. Decorative touches appear on wood laminate surfaces like the headboards and the doors, which are inscribed with a laser-cut pattern of birds and flowers.
The hotel’s owner and operator, the locally prominent V Group, has been operating hotels and serviced apartments since 2005. The team’s knowledge of the longer-stay market has allowed for certain refinements here, conveniences that are not available at a typical short-stay hotel. For example, the rooms have small washer-dryer units so that guests who are going on to further travel don’t need to spend money on laundry service, but can take care of their washing themselves. In addition, elements that proved popular in the more luxurious suites of other V Group properties – like stand-alone tubs and flexible room layouts with partitions – are also used here where space permits.
Edge Design Institute
edge.hk.com
A searchable and comprehensive guide for specifying leading products and their suppliers
Keep up to date with the latest and greatest from our industry BFF's!
Marylou Cafaro’s first trendjournal sparked a powerful, decades-long movement in joinery designs and finishes which eventually saw Australian design develop its independence and characteristic style. Now, polytec offers all-new insights into the future of Australian design.
Create a configuration to suit your needs with this curved collection.
In the pursuit of an uplifting synergy between the inner world and the surrounding environment, internationally acclaimed Interior Architect and Designer Lorena Gaxiola transform the vibration of the auspicious number ‘8’ into mesmerising artistry alongside the Feltex design team, brought to you by GH Commercial.
Savage Design’s approach to understanding the relationship between design concepts and user experience, particularly with metalwork, transcends traditional boundaries, blending timeless craftsmanship with digital innovation to create enduring elegance in objects, furnishings, and door furniture.
Indesign explores the brands exhibiting at the Fitzroy/ Collingwood precinct at the upcoming Melbourne Indesign weekend 22-23 August.
Chris Wilkinson, co-founder of Wilkinson Eyre and the architect behind the Crown Sydney, talks about creating buildings that welcome.
The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed
Esteemed international practice OMA has completed AIR in Singapore, a genre-straddling project defined by openness and an emphasis on waste.
With Milan 2024 only a few weeks away, we sneak a view of some of the most exciting pieces set to go on show – from lighting design to furniture, here are nine preview products.