WAN Adaptive Reuse Award 2013

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Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund WAN Adaptive Reuse Award 2013 | John Portman & Associates


The historic building has seen many changes, including a stint as Shanghai’s first Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet. With its important position along the Bund, beloved place in Shanghai’s history, and classic style, the building richly deserved its new life hosting luxurious suites and public spaces for the Waldorf Astoria. Tremendous care was taken to provide modern conveniences with minimal compromises to the authenticity of the building. (Left) Historic photograph, photographer unknown; (Right) Photo courtesy of Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund

Evolution of The Shanghai Club Building The building which currently holds the Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund has a long history. The Shanghai Club, born in 1861, was principally a British men’s club. The Club immediately became a significant upperclass landmark. The process of replacing the original building began in 1905. The six-level reinforced concrete Baroque revival building of today was first opened in January 1910, and became fully-operational in 1911. During the 1920s and the 1930s, the Club was Shanghai’s most exclusive gathering venue. Patrons and guests were greeted by a grand hall, predominately clad in Italianate marble. This atrium space remains the heart of the design. The adjacent Long Bar was quite the attraction; an unpolished mahogany bar that measured close to 111 feet in length, in its day the world’s longest. The social status scale changed up and down the bar’s expanse with the more prestigious stances sporting views of the Huangpu river frontage.

During the 1920s and the 1930s, the Club was Shanghai’s most exclusive gathering venue.

With discrete elegance, curved marble staircases circumvented twin bronze elevators welcoming Club members to more discerning gentlemanly activities: the library, smoking room, billiards room, dining rooms, guestrooms, barber, and the gloriously brilliant front-facing ballroom. In 1941, the Shanghai Club was closed and occupied by Japanese Naval officers for the duration of WWII and in 1949, the new Government appropriated the building and it catered to foreign sailors. In 1971, the building was converted to the Dong Feng Hotel, said to have had one of the best and most popular restaurants in the City. In 1989, the former Long Bar became Shanghai’s first Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant.

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Atrium space within the historic club building showcases the “bones� that make the building so spectacular as well as period features painstakingly restored to their original glory, such as Sicilian marble columns, stained glass imported from England, exquisite moldings, and wrought iron balusters. Photo courtesy of Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund

Creating a Seamless Guest Experience Today, the historic building has been given a new life and returned to its original glorious beauty. The new 282-foot tall tower and public connection space has brought the old building into the competitive realm of modern day opulence. The concept of creating a single hotel function held true from the outset. The existing building was designed for Club member privacy rather than for functional hotel needs. Few rooms had river views or any real views, barring that of the adjacent buildings. Most importantly, an addition needed to be added to the old building in the form of a tall tower and connecting link. Solving the realization of separate yet linked buildings managed by the same hotel operator was quite a challenge, a resolution that required many experienced minds. The historic Club building needed to stay true to its original look and feel while updating the amenities to suit today’s cosmopolitan traveler. The goal for the new tower was to add 20 floors of guestrooms without overshadowing the historic Club building, while delivering a seamless guest experience between the two.

The existing Shanghai Club building would largely remain, so the focus was on the tower, the linkage, the function, and the form.

The existing Shanghai Club building would largely remain, so the focus was on the tower, the linkage, the function, and the form. That meant designing a tower harmonious and somewhat subservient to the existing Club building, a backdrop to history. Befittingly linking the new tower to the old Club building was ingrained in the design process.

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The view of the new guestroom tower from the back steps of the historic club building and across the Grand Plaza that links the two. The outdoor courtyard that links the two buildings within the hotel complex is reminiscent of the famed “meet-me-at-the-corridor” walkway that joins the two towers of the Waldorf Astoria brand icon – the Waldorf Astoria New York. Photo courtesy of Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund

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Throughout the project there is a progression in ambiance and design that honors both the heritage of the historic club as well as the modern classic spirit of the Bund today. The Grand Brasserie is an all-day dining venue that lies beneath the Grand Plaza and supports a seamless guest experience in the transition from the historic club building to the new guestroom tower. Note the garden oasis beyond the windows to the right. Photo courtesy of Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund

Restoration of Grandeur The original intent for the space below the plaza was that of a double-loaded retail and service spine. Today, one is awed by the decided result, an expansive elliptical culinary retreat known as the Grand Brasserie. This all-day-and-night dining venue is the focal point of the interior link. It is located on the first basement level connected to an outdoor sunlit garden. The open kitchen and show bakery linearly face the spacious seating arrangement. Terraced stairs lead from ground level to the open public space of the roof garden above. The outdoor courtyard is reminiscent of the famed “meet-me-at-the-corridor” walkway that joins the two towers of the Waldorf Astoria brand icon – the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City. Restoring the Long Bar was a top priority. The design goal was simple; bring the Long Bar back to its original jubilation. Not a trace of the original bar remained beyond a few photographs, memories, and a handful of written accounts, but the Long Bar was lovingly reconstructed to look as it did in its glory days.

Where possible, the same materials were used as in the original iteration.

Similar to the original billiards room, the Long Bar used a fair amount of dark, unpolished mahogany. However, the Long Bar’s dark wood was complemented by an off-white coffered ceiling that produced a strikinglybold, texture-rich composition. Where possible, the same materials were used as in the original iteration. If unknown, no longer practical in today’s world, or unavailable, the intended look and feel of the original materials was matched. A pair of curved bronze open Otis elevators were also restored to working condition.

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The Long Bar was one of the hallmark features of the old Shanghai Club that was resurrected within the historic club building. Although not a scrap of it remained, the legendary 110-foot bar was rebuilt to original specifications using historic photographs and other records. Photo courtesy of Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund

The unusual triangle-shaped elevator in the lobby was among the wonderfully eccentric features restored to functionality within the historic club building. Tucked into a curving staircase, Shanghai’s last manual elevator is also China’s oldest still-operable elevator. (Left) Construction photo courtesy of local architects; (Right) Photo by Shu He

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The lobby atrium needed to be brought back to its original design intent. This was another space that was meticulously recreated and/or restored using old photographs and other historic documents. Fortunately, much of the original material and finishes remained usable. (Left) Historic photograph, photographer unkown; (Right) Lobby Photo courtesy of Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund

A Contextual Solution The key was to produce a design that responded to the vast amount of viable concerns. For example, the tower could not project a singular overshadowing statement, yet it could not fade into the built landscape – a delicate balance was needed to win the approvals. This methodical process continued for the duration of the design through construction. Creating a viable modern working hotel was quite a trick. The composite hotel measures roughly 525 feet in length from the Bund frontage to the Sichuan Road entrance. Above and below grade circulation and service became driving factors. It was important to create a sequence of events that would not only guide, but also entertain the guests along their journey.

The result is a warm, uncompromising, classic elegance that will last at least another 100 years.

To help maintain the old building’s grand character, it was decided to maintain the existing extra wide corridors which forced a judicious use of guestroom space. The tower required the best possible views; hence much of the tower’s placement and shape was dictated by its position amongst the neighboring buildings. Restoring an existing historic structure is often more complicated than starting new. Painstaking technical professionalism was paramount; thousands upon thousands of varying-scaled problems persisted throughout the design implementation. The process required a great deal of patience and fortitude by all contributors to reach fruition and the end result speaks for itself. Creating an ambiance symbolic of New York City’s original Waldorf Hotel was always the goal. The team did a fabulous job of refining the ambiance to mold the Waldorf image to that of the Shanghai Club. The result is a warm, uncompromising, classic elegance that will last at least another 100 years.

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Everything today’s modern-day traveler is looking for is elegantly provided with an air of old world grace and civility. The Waldorf Astoria Club guestrooms (top) bring the guest back to olden-day glamour while the Waldorf Astoria Tower guestrooms (bottom) carry the theme into a more modern realm. The distinct height advantage of the new tower rises to offer spectacular vistas of the Huang Pu River, the North and South Bund, and the Lujiazui financial district. Photos courtesy of Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund

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PLAZA SECTION

BUILDING SECTION

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SITE PLAN

FLOOR PLAN

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