hospitalitystyle.com

(November 2011) posted on Fri Nov 25, 2011 EST

Tianjin’s new St. Regis recalls the city’s rich maritime history.

By Mary Scoviak

• 
• 

When KCA International set up their inspiration board for the St. Regis Tianjin, they knew that they wanted to give the ultramodern Skidmore Owings and Merrill building more than a luxurious aesthetic. Delving into the history books, Tianjin’s early 20^th century importance as a shipping hub became the launching pad for a concept that blended aquatic shapes, ancient Chinese motifs and art pieces that represent all that the country’s art community has to offer.

This synthesis is clear from the moment guests walk through the door. The gold-toned lobby is decorated with Chinese navigational star map designs on the carpets, screens and the water feature. Chinese ceramics icon Zhu Legeng’s “The Golden Times” sculpture riffs on the nautical theme with cobblestones ,waves and ripples in over 230 hand-made ceramic pieces. Hand-selected Calacatta marble ups the luxury quotient for the lobby floor.On the way up to the hotel’s 238 rooms and 36 luxury suites, the theme continues with photos of the city’s maritime past in the elevator lobby along with a bronze etching of Tianjin past and present. Through each corridor on the way to the guest room, golden carpeting is patterned to echo the lotus flower shape of the lighting.

In the Presidential Suite, the aquatic theme takes on a more traditional iteration. The Master Bedroom headboard is styled as a river for the lotus-referenced chandelier to “float” on. Fish also show up as a significant motif. Even the gardens echo the fluidly curvilinear forms of the guest room.

Flapper-chic design may not be much of a surprise in China right now, but the exploration of both strictly local inspiration and Arts and Crafts could be a prototype for designers looking for a middle way between centuries-old antiques and spare, contemporary flavor.