As anyone who has been to Shanghai will tell you the Bund is where the action happens, and anyone can also tell you that the South Bund has, for some time, been the less glamorous side to be – well not any longer.
Like the South Bank in London, the left bank in Paris,the South Bund has enjoyed something of a renaissance. There is no letting of the financial might of the chinese government and the money that was literally thrown at the the area along the Bund in time for the expo has brought a new lease of life to the area. It is this new lease of life that see’s the Waterhouse hotel take form, and my what a form it is too.
Neri & Hu Design and Research Office, one of China’s leading architectural voices, entirely transformed the 1930’s building but maintained the original façade. Lyndon Neri explains the design ethos for The Waterhouse: “This is a hotel that puts the emphasis on the traveller in search of some meaning, and not just the luxury component of living.” A conceptual blending of the antique and the contemporary, The Waterhouse is a complex dissociation and amalgamation of interior and exterior as well as public and private spaces, leading to a unique and entirely new experience for guests and locals alike.
Most major hotels in Shanghai are in the vibrant Pudong district, missing the magnificent view entirely, whilst the Waterhouse puts that view at it’s very heart. The Waterhouse at South Bund prides itself on integrating into the traditional local environment while challenging its boundaries and distinguishing itself absolutely in order to provide each guest with an unforgettable experience.
Amarige Panache 