The Crystal Palace

Lighting was always going to be a key design component in the Crystal Orange Hotel Group’s latest opening in the Pudong shopping and entertainment district of Shanghai.

By Ray Molony

The brief to acclaimed design practice Vermilion Zhou Design Group was for the interior to be ‘like a polished gentleman leading guests into an exclusive club’.

Photograph by Wu Jian Quan

The textures and materiality in the open and private spaces are conceived to exude a quality that’s reflected in both visible and touchable textures, infusing guests with positivity when entering the hotel.

The whiskey theme of the hotel is reflected in the warm tones and use of crystal.

The bottle display is gently backlit with ultra warm LED illumination while metallic mesh and glass are exploited to maximise the power of light.

Photograph by Wu Jian Quan

This texture comes from 'purity and penetration, without impurities’. Under solid light, a crystal reflects the colours of a rainbow, with a gradually refined texture over its life that, when polished, is brilliant and lustrous.

The dazzling starlight of the infinity mirror box provides a sense of washing away external stress, invoking liberation and relaxation between the open and private areas.

The textures and materiality in the open and private spaces are conceived to exude a quality that’s reflected in both visible and touchable textures.

Photograph by Wu Jian Quan

By removing outdated spaces, refracting the light of crystals, and radiating new brilliance, the Shanghai-based Vermilion Zhou transformed the the original building into a more functional and dramatic space. In the new version of Crystal Orange Hotel, the firm's design returns to the simplicity of essence and purity.

Vermilion Zhou's goal was to infuse the guest experience with high quality and practicality.

Photograph by Wu Jian Quan

Vermilion Zhou's goal was to infuse the guest experience with high quality and practicality. The lighting design team of Vera Chu and Chia Huang Liao were tasked with creating a lit environment to match these values.

Vermilion Zhou transformed the the original building into a more functional and dramatic space.

Photograph by Wu Jian Quan

In their hand, restrained and sophisticated lighting guides guests into the hotel, where the transformational powers of different objects and spaces instantly disperse the pressures of a busy life.

The bottle display is gently backlit with ultra warm LED illumination while metallic mesh and glass are exploited to maximise the power of light to transform hotel guests into a luxurious and calming world, that stays this side of extravagant. The refraction and dispersion of light is designed to filter out noise and the effects of jet lag, providing guests with unparalleled tranquility. ■

PROJECT CREDITS

Interior Design: Vermilion Zhou Design Group

Creative Director: Kuang Ming (Ray) Chou

Concept Design: Ting Ho

Interior Design: Garvin Hung, Jim Wang, Chen Hu, Jing Yi Xu, Chang Song Li, Bo Liu, Yu Xuan Li

Lighting Design: Vera Chu, Chia Huang Liao

Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment: Sundi