TIME: 2020
SCALE: 1800 sqm
LOCATION: Shanghai
STATUS: Built
TEAM: Xing Xiong, Qichen Cao, Mo Chen, Sheng Lei, Qinyu Cai, Lei Zhang, Ziai Huang, Wenxuan Huang, Jiaxi Du, Yilan Tao, Yuan Tao, Xuezi Li
STRUCTURE: Huaiyu Hua
MEP: Yan Luo, Xueliang Li
NEOBRIDGE is an experiment on the relationship between the hotel and the city. The “bridge” is the theme and the solution. The project is located at Caojiadu, Shanghai, with St. Michael’s Cathedral in the front and a residential garden facing Suzhou Creek in the back. Our goal is to create a comfortable but dramatic space in between two high rises while keeping the building’s original massing and form unchanged.
The problems of the original structure are its low floor height and repressive basement. Hence, we opened up the entire first floor to form a continuous vertical space with a bridge in the bridge. Underneath the bridge is an inner extension of the city; across from the bridge is the hotel, at a distance to the clamour. Walking across the bridge therefore becomes the visual center, a sense of ritual as well as the theme of the hotel.
Spaces and materials are expressed based upon the story of “bridge.” It is intended to create a waterfall facade impression in the concrete urban context. The curtain wall is by glass bricks, the which balance the privacy and lightness.
“Water fall” is carried through both exterior and interior design, in which various materials and finishes expressed different conditions of movement: falling water, underwater and at the bank. The water current is also implied within each room: the walls of bathrooms are made of handmade azure glazed tiles and watermark glass, reflecting the soft movement of river onto the walls.
Solving the layout of rooms is a game with existing pipes and wires. In order to achieve maximum floor height, the original concrete is exposed nakedly. The bathrooms and air-conditioning pipelines are inserted as integral boxes. Most importantly, no louver can be found within the entire building as they all hide within the gaps between materials.
There are a few surprising setup in the hotel: a mirror periscope window in the darkest room reflecting the exterior landscape; little openings in the courtyards where can handshake with neighbors; strip windows people can peek at the bar and bridge, etc.
