Category:

Commercial Space Joint Winner

Design Practice:

VOA

Project Title:

Shanghai Renaissance

Project Location:

Shanghai, China

Design Practice Location:

Chicago, USA

The inspiration of VOA came from the swirling winds that traditionally and literally have brought foreign travellers and trade to China. And recently these winds of change have figuratively brought change to Shanghai and China with the enlightened opening up policies starting in 1979, growing and continuing to the present.
From first entering the Renaissance Putuo the patron is swept in to reception and upon turning around the swirling curves pull the patron into the lobby with ceiling and floor patterns and lighting that is reminiscent of water spouts familiar to sailors and small peaceful water eddies where patrons can pull off to the side and rest and relax. The swirling winds terminate in a tornado crystal chandelier that lands on the lobby bar, the center or attention in the Renaissance Great Room Lobby designed to support the business traveler and families in different fashion morning noon and night.

This design story is then consistently told throughout the hotel from Elevator lobbies to Conference Center to Executive Center and into the rooms and suites. In addition there are three restaurants, a Japanese specialty restaurant, a traditional Chinese restaurant, and a Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Restaurant with exterior dining terrace. In each of these spaces the design caters timelessly to the contemporary traveler in the Renaissance manner but with the accents of the winds of change that have become modern China.