Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts has unveiled Jing An Shangri-La, West Shanghai. Positioned on the Puxi side of the Huangpu River, Jing An Shangri-La, West Shanghai features a design inspired by Shanghai’s past, present, and future.
The 508-room hotel is the centerpiece of the 4.8 million-square-foot Jing An Kerry Centre. Upon entering the lobby, guests are greeted by a 19 x 10-foot oil painting by Zeng Fanzhione of two renowned contemporary artists who were commissioned to create pieces for the hotel. The other is Zhou Chunya, whose series of five paintings for Jing An are inspired by Shanghai’s Yu Garden.
Jing An Shangri-La’s art collection includes 207 pieces by 50 artists, representing 12 countries across four continents. Fourteen of the 50 artists represented in the collection are Chinese. The hotel’s entire art collection includes sculptures, paintings, works on paper, photography, textile art, and decorative objects. Each work pays homage to Chinese culture. Hand-tufted silk carpets found throughout the hotel were designed to resemble paintings and take inspiration from traditional Chinese watercolors, lotus, auspicious fish, and colorful blooms.
“The hotel is very Shanghainese in that it is a balance of the new and the traditional,” says Greg Dogan, Shangri-La president and CEO. “Guests will experience Shangri-La’s genuine, heart-warming hospitality, and discover classic Shangri-La design reinterpreted in a luxurious contemporary way that complements the vibrancy of the Jing An district.”
The hotel’s four bars and restaurants reflect Shanghai’s eclectic and cosmopolitan nature. Summer Palace’s contemporary design takes inspiration from Chinese traditions with golden yellow, orange, green, and blue furnishings, and artwork and accessories inspired by the peacock. In the 1515 West, Chophouse & Bar, premium beef and American-sized desserts are served in a classic New York steakhouse interior. Artifacts from Shanghai’s historic movie productions add glamor.
The two-level Café LIANG & mezzanine greets guests with a palette of pistachio, orange, and brown alongside its semi-buffet spread on the first level. A spiral staircase connects the all-day dining café to the mezzanine level serving modern Japanese-inspired cuisine. Across the complex’s piazza, the two-level restaurant with a rooftop wine bar stands in full view from Café Liang. Architect Shigeru Ban will also design the soon-to-open modern Mediterranean restaurant.
The hotel additionally boasts more than four million crystals. Crystals are used as architectural elements, from the thick canopy of lighted rods covering the porte-cochere to the drapery anchoring the double-height reception area and lobby lounge.
