Sometimes I wish I could clone myself so that I can blog about multiple things at once. I saw this hotel a couple of months ago, and it’s been sitting on my ever growing “must blog about this” list ever since. Argh! I never seem to be able to get on top of my many lists these days. Anyway, as you may have noticed, I try not to blog about stuff that’s been blogged to death elsewhere, but I make an exception every once in a while if the subject is exceptional. See where I’m going with this? So please excuse my “lateness” and if I’m about to bore you with an interior you’ve already seen a million times.The Waterhouse in South Bund is a drop-dead gorgeous boutique hotel situated on the banks of the Shanghai’s Huangpu River. The hotel has only 19 guest rooms, a destination restaurant [have you notice how every hotel reckons their restaurant is a “destination” one – ha!] and a rooftop bar with an all-purpose event space. Designed by Neri & Hu Design and Research Office [man, what a mouthful – from now we shall refer to them as NHDRO], the hotel is located in a transformed 1930’s building with original façade. Ok, let’s break it down cause I’m dying here. Dying I tell ya! This hotel is incredible! By now you all probably know that I’m a major sucker for heritage buildings. As in MAJOR. There is so much to love about old buildings – they are layered with character, patina, endless stories and memories. I often wonder and ask out loud why our building and design industry [and developers in particular] focus on creating new [and often very ordinary] buildings when there are so many existing structures we could be refurbishing and re-adapting. This firmly remains as one of my greatest dreams – getting my hands on derelict and abandoned buildings and making them relevant for the future. But anyway, enough about me. Let’s talk about the hotel already! Actually, I don’t really know what I can tell you about the hotel other than that I love, love, love, love it all. Every single bit. It’s so beautifully executed and NHDRO have managed to fuse heritage and contemporary elements and, in doing so, create a space which transcends eras and styles. I also really love the use of materials – raw concrete and brick are offset by smooth plaster walls and light timbers with just the right amount of warmth. The overall impression is both gritty and sophisticated – existing surfaces are gutsy and brave, carefully balanced with crisp and understated contemporary insertions.This boutique hotel sits is in a league of it’s own. All that’s left to do now is for me to validate these things in person. One day.x danaImages via here, here and here.Share the love:FacebookTwitterLinkedInEmailPinterest 12 Responses Tweets that mention yellowtrace blog » The Waterhouse Hotel by NHDRO | Shanghai, China.: -- Topsy.com October 25, 2010 […] This post was mentioned on Twitter by sam whiteman and Dana Hughes, Clark. Clark said: yellowtrace blog » The Waterhouse Hotel by NHDRO | Shanghai, China.:: The Waterhouse in South Bund is a drop-dead … http://bit.ly/9aX0PB […] Reply ginny October 25, 2010 Interesting blog!..Thanks for the info. Reply Linda from OEKE October 25, 2010 Oh my .. lucky you checked back on your list and posted this. And no, I haven’t seen it around the blog world much so I don’t think you are re-posting!! Love the round with the square, the old and the new – and ALL the lamps (forget shoes, lamps do me in!!). Perfectly designed, styled and photographed. Some people are just too good (-:ps. speaking of lamps. the one on the bedside – with the triangle/circle base – is almost the same as the ones I just bought for my bedside. mine are from beacon lighting – I bet these aren’t Reply yellowtrace October 25, 2010 Hi Linda, that lamp is by Tom Dixon – http://www.tomdixon.net/products/uk/base-table-light Sounds like you scored with your purchase there! x dana Reply Linda from OEKE October 25, 2010 Ooooh .. I must go check your link. Thanks (-: Reply Ludmila {creamylife.com} October 25, 2010 Dana, I haven’t seen this hotel before, but I love it! So crispy clean and modern! Thank you for sharing this! xoxo Reply architecture du jour « little fascist panties October 26, 2010 […] house, chuckanut ridge house, waterhouse hotel. Categories […] Reply Anna Caroline {Design Studio 210} October 27, 2010 Thank you :D I saw this hotel a while ago and I was also thinking of making a blog post about it, but then I got lost in the blog djungle {lol happens often} and forgot about it. So thank you for posting this lovely hotel :) I’m not going to re-blog it but ‘re’ tweet it instead ;)Great blog too! :) Reply Heather Jenkinson October 29, 2010 “…a space which transcends eras and styles.” Well said! I’ve had this page open all day so that I don’t forget about it – there are some blog posts that just need ‘special time’ and this is such one.Dana, that building is extraordinary; she’s a graceful old Dame, whose never too old to try something new. Oh, and by the way, you had me at “surface areas”. Reply jules @ The Diversion Project October 30, 2010 absolutely love the way they’ve treated this building, just brilliant. jx Reply Lets Take a Trip: to Shanghai | The Prop House October 4, 2011 […] Check this place out at The Waterhouse Shanghai and I saw it here. […] Reply anhdie April 11, 2012 a really lovely old building that has been transformed to such classy beautiful hotel… so much characters!i must agree with you on why keep on building new buildings when there are many old buildings around which can be renew… sigh… ReplyLeave a Reply Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published.CommentName* Email* Website Δ
Tweets that mention yellowtrace blog » The Waterhouse Hotel by NHDRO | Shanghai, China.: -- Topsy.com October 25, 2010 […] This post was mentioned on Twitter by sam whiteman and Dana Hughes, Clark. Clark said: yellowtrace blog » The Waterhouse Hotel by NHDRO | Shanghai, China.:: The Waterhouse in South Bund is a drop-dead … http://bit.ly/9aX0PB […] Reply
Linda from OEKE October 25, 2010 Oh my .. lucky you checked back on your list and posted this. And no, I haven’t seen it around the blog world much so I don’t think you are re-posting!! Love the round with the square, the old and the new – and ALL the lamps (forget shoes, lamps do me in!!). Perfectly designed, styled and photographed. Some people are just too good (-:ps. speaking of lamps. the one on the bedside – with the triangle/circle base – is almost the same as the ones I just bought for my bedside. mine are from beacon lighting – I bet these aren’t Reply
yellowtrace October 25, 2010 Hi Linda, that lamp is by Tom Dixon – http://www.tomdixon.net/products/uk/base-table-light Sounds like you scored with your purchase there! x dana Reply
Ludmila {creamylife.com} October 25, 2010 Dana, I haven’t seen this hotel before, but I love it! So crispy clean and modern! Thank you for sharing this! xoxo Reply
architecture du jour « little fascist panties October 26, 2010 […] house, chuckanut ridge house, waterhouse hotel. Categories […] Reply
Anna Caroline {Design Studio 210} October 27, 2010 Thank you :D I saw this hotel a while ago and I was also thinking of making a blog post about it, but then I got lost in the blog djungle {lol happens often} and forgot about it. So thank you for posting this lovely hotel :) I’m not going to re-blog it but ‘re’ tweet it instead ;)Great blog too! :) Reply
Heather Jenkinson October 29, 2010 “…a space which transcends eras and styles.” Well said! I’ve had this page open all day so that I don’t forget about it – there are some blog posts that just need ‘special time’ and this is such one.Dana, that building is extraordinary; she’s a graceful old Dame, whose never too old to try something new. Oh, and by the way, you had me at “surface areas”. Reply
jules @ The Diversion Project October 30, 2010 absolutely love the way they’ve treated this building, just brilliant. jx Reply
Lets Take a Trip: to Shanghai | The Prop House October 4, 2011 […] Check this place out at The Waterhouse Shanghai and I saw it here. […] Reply
anhdie April 11, 2012 a really lovely old building that has been transformed to such classy beautiful hotel… so much characters!i must agree with you on why keep on building new buildings when there are many old buildings around which can be renew… sigh… Reply