The Vertical Lane House | The Waterhouse at South Bund

The Vertical Lane House | The Waterhouse at South Bund

Approaching the site, a Japanese army building from the 1930s, the history written all over its surfaces is easily visible. Thus, the real task of this project was to hold back in the restoration process and resist the natural urge to fix every flaw. We were very careful to delineate where new elements were to be inserted and where the old should remain untouched. While some of the spaces have been refinished and smoothed over, some portions of walls are left crude, exposing crumbling bricks and delicate lathwork behind the deteriorating plaster. Encased in a glass shield, these raw wall sections evoke the archival quality of a museum display, and suddenly the overlooked and mundane is elevated to the precious. Peeling back the layers of finishes is akin to performing an autopsy – uncovering the lives and narratives hidden within each imperfection, and excavating memories that will bring the most intimate moments of inhabitation to the public light.

Just as purposeful as respecting the demarcation between the old and the new is, conversely, erasing the boundary between the public and the private. We are interested in breaking down the visual, aural and physical limitations of personal space across various scales. This pursuit is manifested in the planning of the hotel’s signature restaurant, which is an extension of the street all the way into the inner courtyard, so that the public realm penetrates deeply into the core of the private sphere. A cut in the ceiling of the restaurant even allows occupants of the guestrooms above to participate peripherally in the lively activity among the diners below. The seemingly misplaced windows throughout (such as the one above the main reception in the lobby), cleverly situated reflective surfaces and unexpected circulation paths offer the constant thrill of a stolen view and a wayward glimpse.

In its very conception, the Waterhouse seeks to question the typology of a hotel, how to interpret notions of ‘home’ and domesticity in a foreign environment, and how to give meaning to the experience of a traveller. To do so, we draw from the rich experience of a typical Shanghai longtang (lane or alley), where everyday living is full of discoveries and surprises, and where the concept of true privacy does not exist. By challenging the most basic rituals of daily life and transforming their familiarity into something wholly unpredictable, such as presenting bathing in a glass box, we amplify the constant play between notions of comfort and discomfort. These unexpected moments are meant to heighten the emotional journey of the guest. The graphic wall markings throughout the hotel space evoke and suggest the complexity of the traveller’s psychological states – longing and exhilaration, uncertainty and desire, discomfort and relief – while the distinct rawness of the material palette establishes an intense sense of time, place and being.

Gross Area
2,800 m²

Status
Complete

Completion Date
May 2010

Duration
May 2008 – May 2010

Address
No. 1-3 Maojiayuan Road, Huangpu District, Shanghai, China

2018
The Michelin Guide Shanghai 2018 The Waterhouse at South Bund, Recommended Hotel
World Architecture China Awards 2018, by World Architecture Magazine, ChinaThe Waterhouse at South Bund, WA Achievement Award, Winner
2017
China Premium Traveler Approved Award 2017-2018, by Premium TravelerThe Waterhouse at South Bund, Best Boutique Hotel in Greater China
Metropolitan Hotel Awards 2017, by Metropolitan MagazineThe Waterhouse at South Bund, Best Design Hotel
The City of Paradise 2017-2018: City Traveler Best Hotel Awards, by City Traveler China The Waterhouse at South Bund, The Best Boutique Hotel Award, Winner
Timeout Love Shanghai Awards 2017, by Time Out Shanghai, China The Waterhouse at South Bund, Boutique Hotel of The Year
2016
AZ Awards 2016, by AZURE Magazine, CanadaThe Waterhouse at South Bund, People's Choice Awards, Finalist
2015
Best of Shanghai Awards 2015, by Time Out Shanghai, China The Waterhouse at South Bund, Best of Boutique Hotel in Shanghai Category, Reader's Choice
Architizer A+ Awards 2015, Architizer WebsiteThe Waterhouse at South Bund, Finalist
2014
Far Eastern Architectural Design Award, TaiwanThe Waterhouse at South Bund, First Prize, Outstanding Award
Best of Shanghai Awards 2014 by Time Out Shanghai, ChinaThe Waterhouse at South Bund, Best Hotels – Luxury Hotels Category, Winner
2013
The Best Design Hotel 2013 by Travel & Leisure magazine The Waterhouse at South Bund, Winner
The 2013 China’s 50 Excellent Dining Venues Award by New Western Cuisine,Shanghai, China The Waterhouse at South Bund, Winner
2012
Good Design is Good Business China Awards 2012, by Architectural Record Magazine, United StateThe Waterhouse at South Bund, Best Commercial Projects Category, Honour Award
CIDA China Interior Design Award, by China National Interior Decoration Association The Waterhouse at South Bund, Public Space Category, Winner
Shanghai Restaurant Week 2012, by DiningCity, Shanghai, China The Waterhouse at South Bund, Best Popular Restaurant, Winner
2011
Travel + Leisure Design AwardsThe Waterhouse at South Bund, Best Restaurant,Winner
Inside Awards 2011, by INSIDE World Festival of Interiors, SpainThe Waterhouse at South Bund, Hotels Category, Winner
Inside Awards 2011, by INSIDE World Festival of Interiors, SpainThe Waterhouse at South Bund, World Interior of The Year 2011
China Best Design Hotels, by The Bund, Shanghai, China The Waterhouse at South Bund, Best Architecture Preservation and Renovation Category
Best Design of Preservation and Reconstruction by The Bund Magazine, ChinaThe Waterhouse at South Bund
City Weekend Shanghai Best European Editor’s PickThe Waterhouse at South Bund
City Weekend Shanghai Best NewcomerThe Waterhouse at South Bund, Honorable Mention
T+L Design Awards 2011, by Travel + Leisure Magazine, United StatesThe Waterhouse at South Bund, Best Hotel (Fewer Than 100 Rooms), Honorable Mention
2010
2010 Asia Pacific Interior Design Biennial Awards, by AI Awards, ChinaThe Waterhouse at South Bund, Best Hotel Space Design Award, Nominated
AR Awards for Emerging Architecture 2010,by Architectural Review Magazine, United KingdomThe Waterhouse at South Bund, One of The Three Winners
Asia Pacific Interior Design Awards 2010, by Hong Kong Interior Design Association, Hong Kong, China The Waterhouse at South Bund, Public Space Category, Bronze Prize
Asia Pacific Interior Design Awards 2010, by Hong Kong Interior Design Association, Hong Kong, ChinaThe Waterhouse at South Bund, Hotel Space Category, Gold Prize
Best Of Year Award 2010, by Interior Design Magazine, United StatesThe Waterhouse at South Bund, Hospitality and Hotel Category, Winner
Contractworld Awards 2011, by Deutsche Messe, GermanyThe Waterhouse at South Bund, Conversion Category, Winner
Design for Asia (DFA) Award 2010, by Hong Kong Design Center, Hong Kong, China The Waterhouse at South Bund, Hospitality and Leisure - Environment Design Category, Bronze Award
Gold Key Awards 2010, by Interior Design & Hotels Magazine, United StatesThe Waterhouse at South Bund, Best Hotel Design, Urban Category, Winner
Perspective Awards 2010, by Perspective Magazine, Hong Kong, ChinaThe Waterhouse at South Bund, Interior Design - Hotel category, Certificate of Excellence
Taiwan Interior Design 2010, by Chinese Society of Interior Designers, TaiwanThe Waterhouse at South Bund, Commercial Space, Category Gold Winner
World Architecture Festival 2010, by The Architectural Review Magazine, London, UKThe Waterhouse at South Bund, New and Old category, Shortlisted
World Architecture News Interiors+Design Awards 2010, by worldarchitecturenews.com, London, UKThe Waterhouse at South Bund, Interior+Design, Winner
Time Out Shanghai Best New Restaurant, by Time Out Shanghai, China The Waterhouse at South Bund
Perspective Awards 2010, by Perspective Magazine, Hong Kong, ChinaThe Waterhouse at South Bund, Architecture - Commercial, Retail or Office Category, Certificate of Excellence