Working with international hotel group BRG, RMD was appointed to devise a radical design for the business floor of this corporate hotel in the new district in Shanghai.

Liaising with the client’s own design team we conceived an open plan space that would allow maximum flexibility by virtue of a series of sliding full height screens.

The key principle behind the innovative design was expressed through a palette of natural finishes and materials treated in a very architectural way. Teak wood, hand carved stone panels, raw silk, glass and leather all combined to create a cool and sophisticated interior.

RMD provided a full design service from concept through to detail drawings, specification and attendance on site during manufacture.

Using several devices borrowed from yacht interiors to make the relatively constrained space of 37 square metres appear larger and more fluid, RMD elected to integrate the bathrooms with the main areas and treat these spaces as sculptural installations as opposed to just washrooms.

Privilite glass panels (glass that turns opaque at the touch of a switch) created privacy when required. Oversized teak-clad bath tubs with a Jacuzzi feature became the centre-piece of each bathroom. Honed limestone was used as wall panelling with blond wood joinery and floating glass shelving units back-lit for storage.

Due to the exacting clean lines of the surface finishes, it was crucial to ensure the detailing was fully considered and also practical to build with access and long term maintenance in mind. We worked hard to create innovation while still providing an intuitive functionality for time-conscious guests.

A generally pale colour palette was employed to encourage light to reflect into the space with a series of back-lit floating layers appearing to make solid elements float.

As a result of the success of the accommodation designs, RMD is now working on concepts for the public areas of this hotel.