15/11/2011 – Near the new Cool Docks development in Shanghai’s South Bund district, Waterhouse is a four-story building. The 19-room hotel occupies a former three-story Japanese army headquarters from the 1930s, overlooking the Huangpu River and the glittering Pudong skyline.
The renovation concept by NHDRO , the studio of Lyndon Neri and Rossana Hu, is founded on a clear contrast between old and new.
The original concrete building was restored, while the new additions, built on the existing structure in Cor-Ten steel, reflect the industrial past of this stretch of the Huangpu River.
The fourth floor continues this relationship with the historical and cultural context, echoing the industrial ships that cross the river.
Neri & Hu designed the hotel interiors to create a reversal between inside and outside, public and private, producing a spatial disorientation for guests seeking a five-star hospitality experience that is unique in its genre.
In the public areas, guests can glimpse the interiors of rooms, while private spaces look back toward the public rooms: the large window above the entrance and the hallway windows overlook the dining room.
These unusual visual connections not only add surprise but also draw guests into the condition of urban Shanghai, where views through corridors and the compression of dense surroundings create a unique experience of space in the city.
Yolande A. Bow
Peter Dark
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