Shanghai Dungan Chengfu Hotel by Shanghai Light and Shadow Design

Project: Shanghai Dungan Chengfu Hotel
Architects: Shanghai Light and Shadow Design
Location: Changsin Mountain, Chunnmin District, Shanghai, China
Area: 22,711 sq ft
Year: 2022
Photography by: Wang Haihua

Shanghai Dungan Chengfu Hotel by Shanghai Light and Shadow Design

This hotel project on Changsin Island in Shanghai is far from the hustle and bustle of the city. The designers' goal is to give guests their first impression of poetic elegance born from the aesthetics of natural simplicity, reminiscent of moonlight reflecting on clean and calm waters.

Visitors to this area will encounter the charming rural atmosphere of cozy earthen roads adorned with flowers and deciduous trees, as well as picturesque beaches with light sand and a sparkling view of the open sea beyond.

Poetry of Time: Enjoying Slowness

The hotel entrance and main corridor immediately convey a sense of comfort and tranquility with a palette of natural materials composed of gentle colors and textures, creating a clean and simple aesthetic style. Large arched French windows allow abundant sunlight to penetrate the space, filling it with a warm atmosphere that is both bright, calm, and cozy.

In the flow of light and shadow, the living room consists of a minimalist combination of furniture and artworks made from organic materials: rattan, beige stone, and untreated wood. Their attractive colors and tactile qualities create a space with a pleasant atmosphere where guests can enjoy quiet rest—whether it's a cup of tea, reading a book, or simply contemplating the landscape outside the window.

Gentle Movements: Space for Relaxation

For the hotel bedrooms and their auxiliary spaces, it's important to create a deeply calm and cozy atmosphere full of soft textures but also visually appealing. Therefore, designers simplified elements in spaces where beige tones and natural wood are used, forming a unified yet diverse visual language. Carefully placed rounded furniture and artworks contrast with rectangular elements of the space, drawing attention. Together with the slow change of natural light, they add contemporary sensuality and aesthetic expressiveness.

Surrounded by soft, warm light and walls with Mediterranean interior touches, guests find themselves in an atmosphere of stylish calm. Beds are equipped with the highest quality mattresses and bedding, allowing guests to enjoy the best night's sleep.

The designers' approach to these bedrooms particularly emphasizes accents and details, unified in a common aesthetic style. Guests will find an elegant wooden table in the corner with an individual tea set and a book, providing a quiet place to read under a beautiful Chinese watercolor while sipping tea.

The philosophy of the Wabi-Sabi style permeates the overall design of the bedrooms, through a minimalist approach to furniture and decorations, use of natural materials, and simple earth-toned colors. Through an artful combination of these simple elements, an atmosphere of harmonious balance is achieved, allowing guests to find inner peace: a cozy retreat from their busy urban lives.

A well-thought-out bedroom can be a comfortable place for rest, whether during the day or at night. Hotel guests can relax on soft beds, admiring the landscapes outside the window or sipping a cup of aromatic tea at the coffee table—each will find their own way to quietly enjoy the possibilities this space offers.

Designers also created a fantasy version of a bunk bed, allowing both independent play and rest as well as an ideal place for parents to spend time with children. Here, the overall style maintains simplicity from other rooms while adding a playful element suitable for spaces designed for little guests.

Memories of the Sea: Poetic Atmosphere

The hotel restaurant zone continues the style inspired by the Mediterranean, combining it with added Chinese elements such as raw simplicity of wooden chairs and tables, creating an interesting and seamless blend of Eastern and Western feelings.

The interior decoration was carefully planned for comfort while also providing an aesthetically balanced and harmonious atmosphere. Comfortable seating and tables are arranged in a warm, softly lit environment, offering a pleasant dining experience for every guest.

Guests can enjoy a unique blend of Mediterranean and Chinese cuisine presented here: fresh fish, fruits, and vegetables expertly prepared by experienced chefs will satisfy the most refined tastes. Whether hosting a family dinner or entertaining friends, guests will have an unforgettable dining experience.

Designers placed an attractive airy shell on the hotel terrace, offering a unique opportunity to eat while enjoying fresh island air. Guests stepping onto the terrace will encounter hand-painted wall art, adding vivid artistic expression of nature and an atmosphere of creative imagination.

Throughout the entire design process, special attention was paid to combining comfort and beauty—so regardless of the time of day, whether it's morning with sunrise or evening under starry skies, guests can enjoy a relaxing cup of tea on the terrace or relax and socialize with family and friends.

One of the hotel's features is its Kids Zone, a place full of playful warmth and imagination. The play area on the second and third floors takes inspiration from swimming underwater, inviting children into a colorful world inspired by the ocean. Blue and white bubbles, wave-like decorations, elegant seashells, sea stars, murals with seaweed, and other elements bring the space to life, giving children a sense of a mysterious underwater world. Here their imagination can freely develop through playing, sliding on water slides, and learning about the marine environment.

The fourth floor with a starry sky theme creates a vivid futuristic image that will delight children of all ages. A collection of astronomical devices and decorations invites visitors into a world of exploration and mystery, as if stepping through a portal into the universe. Looking up, children can see an imitation of the night sky, and several powerful telescopes will allow them to have an extraordinary experience of seeing reality.

In general, the Kids Zone combines various functions and activities for children and their parents, allowing diverse educational and constructive play at any time of day or night.

The main design intent is to create a place where guests seeking a break from their busy lives can rest and relax in a light atmosphere of aesthetic elegance. Applying a soulful purpose to the functional requirements of the hotel, they successfully combined comfort, practicality, and visual beauty.

This was achieved through the use of simple, minimalist forms and textures filled with natural light, organized so as to highlight their best inner qualities. The calm and refined atmosphere resonates throughout all hotel spaces. Raw wood and rattan, beige and autumn colors, and other natural elements were combined in a modern design concept, creating a place of relaxed sophistication that creates an unforgettable atmosphere for every guest who experiences it.

- Project description and images provided by Current-Newswire