the Waterhouse by NHDR architects

What once used to be an abandoned headquarters building is now a prestigious hotel and a great redesign project by NHDR architects. The Waterhouse is located in Shanghai, close to the Huangpu River and from its roof one can have an unlimited view of the city. Apart from being undoubtedly impressive and really well designed what I admire the most is the excellent mix of materials, textures and colours. The corten steel facade, the original concrete structure, the glass surfaces and the white, minimal volume of the additional building. [1]

The Waterhouse at South Bund is an energetically conceived and executed 19-room boutique hotel with a capacity to surprise. Starting with a 1930s warehouse in Shanghai's old docklands, Singaporean lawyer-turned-hotelier Loh Lik Peng embarked on a total renovation, stocking the interiors with his trademark designer furniture (Arne Jacobsen, Finn Juhl, Hans Wegner, et al), which gives the property added polish. Large windows illuminate the sleek interiors, and many bedrooms have a terrace or balcony; hi-tech features (bedside control panel, iPod docking station, cable TV) are supplied in abundance. Clever juxtapositioning allows glimpses of the rooms from the public areas and vice versa. [2]

[1] Ref. http://qenbleu.blogspot.gr/2012/02/waterhouse-by-nhdr-architects.html

[2] Ref. http://www.cntraveller.com/awards/the-hot-list/hot-list-2011/the-waterhouse-at-south-bund