Singapore-based design firm LTW Designworks pays tribute to six Chinese dynasties with the debut of Jumeriah Nanjing. Housed within the Zaha Hadid-designed International Youth Olympic Cultural Center, the design celebrates the region’s cultural history through bespoke details and the lens of modern luxury.
The hotel maximizes panoramic water views of the Yangtze River against the urban backdrop of the Hexi new Business District. In the lobby, guests are greeted by two artistic interpretations of the black dragon folktale. Also exploring the interplay of light and shadow, a smooth and textured wall feature translates the dragon into an art piece that ascends the walls toward the eight-story-high skylight. Two additional sculptures also serve to draw the eye upward. Imagery of a flowing river characterizes the lobby, which is also populated with central seating installed atop marble floors detailed with a rippling pattern.
Included among the hotel’s F&B options are the Cha Jie Tea Lounge and the Chocolatini Martini Lounge on the 41st floor. The former embraces a soft, neutral identity accented with black lacquered panels, while the latter exudes elegance through a warm, autumn-hued palette with tangerine arched ceilings, brick red leather armchairs, and red and yellow maple leaf motifs. Contemporary Chinese concept Lu Chao occupies the 40th floor, with interiors inspired by imperial gold. Informed by the Ming Dynasty, the minimalist Talise Spa is accented with subtle floral patterns, while the Sky Pool crowns the property beneath a glazed skylight. Gym studios are also housed across three glass boxes that overlook the pooldeck.
Guestrooms are crafted with a comfortable but sophisticated aesthetic influenced by Nanjing’s academic and literary histories. The “Four Treasures of Study”—brush, ink, paper, and inkstone—served as key inspirations for the design of guestrooms and suites, all of which are clad with traditional wooden printing blocks adapted into decorative screens with asymmetrical brushstroke patterns that form a dragon motif. Their neutral palette is amplified by warm timber, abstract brown and white carpeting, beige lacquered panels, and gray upholstered furniture. Sculptural light fixtures in suites serve to contextualize the living areas.
