The Middle House, the fourth House Collective to open in early 2018

The team behind arguably one of the finest city hotels in the world in Upper House Hong Kong will be opening their fourth House Collective (居舍系列) property (after Opposite House in Beijing, Upper House in Hong Kong and Temple House in Chengdu) in Shanghai. They’ll be bringing their sophisticated design focus and warm, thoughtful service standards to the city.

The Middle House will offer 111 rooms as well as 102 serviced apartments under The Middle House Residences. The interiors of the hotel and apartments are by Milan-based designer Pierro Lissoni, with architecture by Lissoni Associati, and Wong and Ouyang.

Located in the heart of Shanghai’s popular commercial district and in close proximity to the city’s fashionable Nanjing Road (West), The Middle House continues the company’s philosophy of intimate luxury, delivered with highly-personalised service. The hotel will offer many unique features, not least an abundance of outdoor spaces and terraces, providing an elegant and calm oasis amidst the dynamic backdrop of one of Asia’s most sophisticated cities.

Swire Hotels will continue their successful collaboration with New York-based chef Gray Kunz, with the restaurant Café Gray Deluxe being integral to how The Middle House will position itself to the Shanghai community. Inspired by dishes from the award-winning Hong Kong location, the restaurant will showcase Chef Gray’s unique style of international cuisine amidst Lissoni’s stylish interiors and stunning terraces.

Known for his use of sleek, bold lines and clean silhouettes to redefine modern spaces, Lissoni’s design efforts extend to The Middle House’s exterior façade as well as the interiors of all its public spaces, guest rooms and serviced apartments. The hotel’s exterior façade will feature a series of round aluminum louvers, which provide shade and privacy for the guest rooms while creating a textured aesthetic that visually distinguishes the hotel’s two towers from surrounding developments. While louvers with their functional, uniform slats are a familiar sight in Shanghainese architecture, using round frames gives them a refreshing new spin.

For the interior spaces, Lissoni took inspiration from Shanghai’s rich heritage of craftsmanship and culture, marrying his minimalist style with classical Shanghainese elements. While his signature is apparent in the subtle yet impactful combinations of bold lines, materials and colours, the overall theme is enhanced by décor and custom furnishing inspired by Shanghai’s culture of art and craftsmanship, providing an intriguing marriage of the old and new.

Drawing from his decades of experience reshaping contemporary Italian furniture, Lissoni has created modern reinterpretations of traditional Chinese furniture for the guest rooms, including oriental-style nightstands, contemporary table lamps and wall-to-wall benches in the living area. Complemented by generous windows affording ample views of the city, transparent room dividers serve to brighten up each guest room and create a natural sense of space. Backlit walls and glazed screens are also used to lighten the otherwise secluded bathroom areas. For the perfect finishing touch, each room also features exquisite Chinese artwork.

For the spacious serviced apartments, Lissoni created sliding wood panels to facilitate a flexible living space. Finely carved with traditional Chinese design elements, the sliding panels provide a gentle barrier between the bedroom and living area, allowing guests to open the panels and unite the two spaces, or close them for privacy as needed. Here, a warm and inviting colour scheme of white and cream is accented by bright pops of colour in the furnishings and décor, while the bathroom floor is paved in rich brown ceramic parquet tiles with brushed bamboo textures.

For bookings, email clad@zebrano.com