Developed by Singapore-owned Cameron Holdings Hotel Management Limited, The WaterHouse is the company�s first venture into the hospitality industry in China. The company is optimistic about the strong growth potential of the hospitality industry in Shanghai, and also the opportunities presented by the World Expo in 2010. It hopes to contribute to the New Shanghai by transforming a historic riverside property into a cutting edge boutique hotel and contemporary space for prestigious lifestyle events. 

With just 19 rooms, The WaterHouse at South Bund is a unique boutique project, with a destination restaurant, a rooftop bar and a separate all-purpose event hall named The WareHouse that will help to introduce an exciting new leisure experience to the Shanghai market.

One of the leading architectural voices in China today, the Shanghai-based design firm Neri & Hu Design and Research Office, was commissioned to transform a building from the 1930s, where the original façade is juxtaposed with newly inserted apertures. Neri & Hu are winners of countless international and domestic awards and the firm has been recognized as �the epitome of modern Chinese aesthetics�.

Lyndon Neri, founding partner of Neri & Hu, explains the design ethos for The Waterhouse: �This is a hotel that puts the emphasis on the traveller in search of some meaning, and not just the luxury component of living.� 

Event Hall

The WareHouse at South Bund, the project�s multi-purpose event space in a former dockside warehouse, has recently been completed. Located by the Huangpu River and facing an old docks area, the architectural concept of The WareHouse rests on a deliberate blending of the old and the new. The result is an impressive new space that evokes the building�s industrial roots while staying true to the neighborhood�s historic past.

Housed in an adjacent building within the compound of The WaterHouse complex, the 8,000 square-foot (743 sqm) multi-function WareHouse boasts a double-height ceiling and a flexible, easy-to-convert layout, making it perfect for a wide range of events, including weddings, product launches, fashion shows, corporate and sporting events, plus concerts, exhibitions and other promotional activities. With a capacity of up to 1,000 guests, The WareHouse will commence bookings on 15 April 2009 while The WaterHouse hotel and restaurant is due to open in November/ December 2009.

Geographical Location 

Ideally located in the vicinity of the 2010 World Expo site and adjacent to Shanghai�s latest cultural hotspot The Cool Docks, The WaterHouse at South Bund is situated east of the city�s old town, which was the focal point for the city�s shipping and trading activities in the 1800s.  

With a magnificent view of the Pudong skyline, The WaterHouse is part of a quaint low-rise district where much of the city�s architectural heritage is still intact. To its east, across the Huangpu River, is the bustling commercial centre of Lujiazui; while to the south is the Nanpu Bridge, the first steel and concrete composite girder cable-stayed bridge built in Shanghai and the fourth longest of such bridge in the world.

To the west of The WaterHouse is the historic old town of Shanghai, with such popular tourist attractions as Yuyuan, Huahai Lu shopping area and Xintiandi; and to the north, just 1.5km away, is the world-famous Bund with its many fine examples of period European architecture. The WaterHouse is next door to The Cool Docks, a new commercial venture offering retail outlets, restaurants, bars and related businesses. Riding on the World Expo wave, The Cool Docks is set to become one of Shanghai�s latest cultural and lifestyle riverfront destinations. 

The WaterHouse Design Concept

The hotel�s design philosophy is based on a blurring or an inversion of internal & external spaces as well as public & private spaces, creating a disorienting yet refreshing spatial experience for hotel guests in search of something out of the ordinary.  The public spaces allow glimpses into private rooms while the private spaces invite guests to peek into public areas. The result is a stay that both defines and distinguishes the visitor experience at The WaterHouse.

Designers 

Founded by Lyndon Neri and Rossana Hu, the works of Neri & Hu Design and Research Office are a wellspring of creative and contemporary design. Lyndon Neri has a BA in Architecture from the University of California in Berkeley and an MA in Architecture from Harvard University. He was previously the Director for Projects in Asia for Michael Graves & Associates. Rossana Hu has a BA in Architecture from the University of California in Berkeley and an MA in Architecture and Urban Planning from Princeton University, with 12 years of experience working for various renowned design companies in America. Neri & Hu�s Shanghai projects include Muse bar, Y+ Yoga in Xintiandi, The China House at the Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok and the Design Republic flagship store, which was recently bestowed the DFA (Design for Asia) Best Design Award. 

Wong Wye Leng
[email protected]  
Tel: +65 9826 4097