Combining local culture, bold architecture and modern minimalism, Alila Shanghai encourages exploration and reflection
Shanghai, China (22 November, 2024) — Alila Shanghai’s design explores the duality of its location, celebrating the city’s rich history and authentic traditions while acknowledging its modern culture and urban sophistication. Located in the city’s vibrant Jing’an district, Alila Shanghai is surrounded by luxury retail and the century-old Zhangyuan heritage site. Drawing inspiration from these various influences, celebrated designer Ju Bin has seamlessly blended elements of nature, culture and art into the design, inviting guests to retreat from Shanghai’s bustling streets and discover a tranquil retreat of bespoke beauty.
Ju Bin’s design for Alila Shanghai plays with contrasts, mirroring the city’s dynamic connection with modernity and tradition. Public areas, adorned with dark timbers, textured surfaces, and stone objects, exude a sense of gravitas. In contrast, guest rooms offer a tranquil retreat with a neutral palette, delicate detailing, and organic patterns. This duality extends to the spatial experience: shared spaces encourage outward-looking perspectives, while private rooms foster introspection and tranquillity. Alila Shanghai thus creates a harmonious balance between active engagement and quiet contemplation, inviting guests to immerse themselves in Shanghai’s vibrant culture before returning to a serene retreat.
Guests first encounter Alila Shanghai via the hotel’s winding driveway. Hidden from bustling Weihai Road, visitors are transported from Shanghai’s cacophonous streets to an enclosed space of quiet calm, sheltered from the outside world via the vaulted ceiling. From the outset, guests are introduced to the Alila Shanghai’s thoughtfully curated art collection with a full-length digital art installation adorning the arrival hall. Designed to inspire the imagination and engage the senses, Alila Shanghai’s extensive art collection throughout the property includes mixed media, photography, sculpture, ceramics and examples of Chinese handicrafts. Embracing classic art and cutting-edge pieces, the collection reveals the symbiotic relationship between modernity and tradition.
A Warm Welcome
Accessed via an elevator, the fourth-level Welcome Pavilion blurs the line between interior and exterior spaces. With a layout inspired by traditional Chinese gardens, the central courtyard features a small lake and is surrounded by buildings on all sides. Locally sourced stone and timber pay homage to the natural materials that once adorned the garden’s structures, establishing a connection between the past and present. The design invites exploration through shared pathways and communal spaces, enhancing the flow, encouraging interactions and reinterpreting traditional architectural styles for a modern context. The public spaces framing the central courtyard vary in function and scale, creating a harmonious interplay of order, symmetry and rhythm.
As guests explore the central courtyard, their perspectives and visibility shift with each step. The walkways bordering the water, for example, vary in width, challenging spatial relations and encouraging guests to reframe their views.
Dominating the central courtyard is the striking ‘Gathering’ tree, a 17-foot-high art installation created by cutting-edge artist Oscar Wang. Inspired by the five senses and the five elements, the tree’s handmade ceramic lights become increasingly prominent under the night sky. Seamlessly blending with the environment, and reinforcing Shanghai’s contrasting character, the artwork complements the shimmering Shanghai skyline while drawing attention to the surrounding greenery.
Aside from the reception on the L Level, guests can also wander through outdoor sunken courtyards, experience private dining spaces or discover products from local artisans at the Alila Living outlet. A separate library, featuring tomes on Shanghai’s history and culture as well Chinese philosophy and arts, encourages guests to connect with the city’s vibrant heritage. The mood throughout L Level is opulent yet warm, created with an inspired-by-nature mix of light timbers, dark wooden floors and bold green accents.
Designed for Dining
L Level is also home to Alila Shanghai’s signature Chinese restaurant, 500 Weihai Road, serving modern Shanghainese cuisine with a focus on seafood. Nearby, Garden Pavilion serves breakfast daily and is the go-to venue for Japanese grill and robatayaki. Taking full advantage of the restaurant’s floor-to-ceiling windows, diners enjoy unobstructed views of the courtyard’s majestic Japanese maple tree. Elsewhere on L Level, two transparent private rooms overlooking the central lake provide the ultimate dining experience. Within this exclusive setting, guests can order dishes from either 500 Weihai Road or Garden Pavilion. Inviting and stylish, these private dining rooms are the ideal venues for a high-powered business meeting, an intimate dinner or stylish celebration.
Cha Yan @ 5TH evokes the spirit of a traditional teahouse, reinterpreting time-honored rituals for contemporary tastes. This mix of old and new is reflected in the décor, combining vintage furniture with striking modern paintings from Vietnamese artist Nguyen Khac Chinh. The room’s green palette also promotes a sense of tranquility and connects the interior with the lush exterior.
Secret Roof is a relaxed coffee and tea bar during the day and transits to a vibrant cocktail bar in the evening. Its striking crimson and burnt orange palette is complemented by an artfully arched ceiling. The ceiling’s intricate pattern, reminiscent of traditional weaving techniques, creates a captivating contrast between soft curves and structured lines. Through Secret Roof, guests access a spacious outdoor terrace where they can embrace the view of Zhangyuan – Shanghai’s signature shikumen complex.
Urban Retreat
Comprising 186 guest rooms, including 94 spacious suites, the accommodations span the 12th to 17th and the 27th to 39th floors. Leveraging their prime location, the guest rooms boast expansive windows that bathe the spaces in natural light and provide stunning panoramic views of the Shanghai skyline. Ranging from 39 square-meters (419 square-feet) to an expansive 244 square-meters (2,626 square-feet) for the Penthouse Suite, Alila Shanghai guest rooms reflect the vibrancy, sophistication, and culture of the city. Honoring the local culture, vintage Shanghai images adorn the walls, and each room number is etched into a blue brick salvaged from a historic shikumen building, a symbol of Shanghai’s architectural heritage. Design elements throughout celebrate traditional Chinese craftsmanship, from the intricately woven rattan screens and timber marquetry to the elegant paper louvers and lighting fixtures inspired by shikumen.
Capitalizing on the hotel’s unique position, many of the guestrooms overlook the sprawling Zhangyuan complex, a historic landmark dating back to 1882. The series of shikumen stone-gate townhouses feature traditional carved windows and glazed fireplaces, transporting guests to a bygone era. Contrasting the ancient with the modern, guests can connect with the local history while appreciating the modern comforts of their urban retreat. The guestrooms’ bespoke furnishings and premium materials as well as the curated artwork and library enhance the residential mood.
The clean lines, set against soft natural materials, cultural motifs and organic forms convey a natural minimalism that defines the Alila brand’s aesthetic. Eschewing any clutter or ornamentation, simplicity is the ultimate expression of sophistication.
Sophisticated Sustainability
Sustainability and a respect for the environment are core to the Alila values. Alila Shanghai was meticulously designed and built to align with the rigorous standards set by EarthCheck, the world’s leading authority on sustainable travel and tourism. Not only is the property designed following EarthCheck design certification guidelines, but it is projected to exceed regional leader benchmarks in energy efficiency, water management, waste reduction and greenhouse gas emissions.
By using High Solar Reflectance Index (SRI) materials, in combination with strategic landscaping, Alila Shanghai is expected to increase energy efficiency, creating a cooler, more comfortable environment for guests. The hotel’s comprehensive waste management plan ensures waste is carefully sorted to minimize the amount sent to landfills while kitchen waste is converted into organic fertilizer.
Alila Shanghai projects to improve water conversation and exceed the regional leader benchmark. Ensuring every drop is used wisely, the hotel has integrated a strategy to capture and reuse rainwater. Once collected from the rooftops, the water is treated and repurposed for irrigation and used in the hotel’s green spaces, minimizing the need for local water resources.
Alila Shanghai’s commitment to eco-friendly practices extends to the dining outlets. To minimize its environmental impact, the hotel features its own organic garden, where spices and vegetables are grown for use in the kitchen.
Meetings & Events
With a combined event space of 305 square-meters (3,283 square-feet), Alila Shanghai’s multipurpose venues can be configured to accommodate events of any size, from intimate celebrations and family gatherings to boardroom meetings. For ultimate convenience, event organizers can choose from a variety of venue options, including an open-air terrace with scenic views and five elegant function rooms boasting natural light.
Befitting the Alila Shanghai’s historic address, the hotel stands at the crossroads of modernity and tradition. Through its unique position, the hotel integrates classic Shanghai with modern innovations to create havens of understated elegance. These tranquil spaces and resort-style setting encourage guests to establish closer connections with themselves, nature and the local community.
“Our urban resort is a haven of tranquillity in the heart of bustling Shanghai," says Alila Shanghai General Manager, Jatwen Yap. “The hotel’s design invites guests to connect with the city’s rich history while offering moments of respite and quiet contemplation."
