AB CONCEPT DESIGNS STUNNING W BEIJING CHANG’AN HOTEL

The exquisite W hotel in Beijing is located on Chang’an Avenue and is mainland China’s second W hotel. The highly anticipated hotel exudes a distinctive metropolitan vibe and focuses on cuttingedge design, fashion, and music, whilst importantly staying in keeping with the imposing grandeur of Beijing’s past. The W Beijing Chang’an Hotel offers guests a rich medley of experiences that capture Beijing’s dynastic history, along with its international flavours. AB Concept’s principal inspiration when creating the impressive hotel was Tian Yuan Di Fang, a Chinese philosophical tenet that defines heaven as round, and the earth as square. As a result, the hotel’s lobby features walls that are adorned with round and square patterns, lending a sense of regality to the space. The hotel also sports imperial ceilings, distinctive of AB Concepts designs, and multiple hues, innovative installations, bold lighting, and dynamic textures; each dramatically transitioning from one to another. When entering the lobby of the hotel, the most striking feature is an impressive chandelier made up of 26,000 lights. Its everchanging colours are mesmerizing as are its graphics that alter from swimming fish, jumping tigers and many other intriguing, intricate images. An exquisite work of art that consists of many Ming vase plates placed in a circular shape is suspended behind the reception desk. Many Tian Yuan Di Fang style circular bronze features also beautifully decorate the main lobby. The W Beijing’s sensational bar features an impressive catwalk that can be used for events such as fashion shows. All the furniture and lighting is custom-made by AB Concept and the lighting was designed to mimic the lights found on film sets. The ‘DJ Ball’ that can be found further down the bar is suspended in the air during the day and drops and breaks open into two halves at night, when the bar opens, revealing a DJ booth. An open bar can be found behind the ‘DJ Ball’ where interesting barmen perform impressive “bottle acrobatics” every night, for your entertainment. A few small VIP rooms are also available, one of which is referred to as ‘The Secret Space’ and resembles a gigantic birds nest where one is enclosed in luxury and opulence. A mezzanine level is also available for VVIP’s, where you can see everyone in the W Lounge below but no one can see you. W Beijing Chang’an consists of 349 stylish and spacious guestrooms and suites that follow the hotel’s design narrative, combining modern and traditional elements, including superlative views of historic monuments that can be seen from its room’s full-length windows. The rooms also echo the principle of Tian Yuan Di Fang with their playful Ming-styled vase cushions, their round bathtubs and the shape of their carpets. The rooms are fitted with luxurious mini bars made up of leather and gold. Their beds are of the utmost comfort and display beautiful headboards that show the silhouette of Chinese female soldiers on parade during the China National Day festival to celebrate the establishment of the People’s Republic of China. Moreover, fashionable throws of a rich golden color can be found, reflecting the royal history of Beijing. For stylish events and meetings, the hotel offers nearly 1,500 square meters of versatile space, including The Great Room of 518 square meters with a ceiling height of 7 meters. In addition, YEN, the hotel’s Chinese restaurant, located on level 2, displays local history in full force, complementing Beijing’s culinary heritage. Ming Vase plates decorate the blue and white restaurant perfectly. They are displayed through an interesting and modern pattern on the ceiling. Many large works of art can be found in the YEN restaurant, depicting different areas of China. These include Beijing, Changan Dajie and Sanlitun. The furniture and lighting in the restaurant are custom-made and draw on AB Concepts philosophy of tradition meets modernity. The chairs in the restaurant, for instance, are made of modern leather yet bear a traditional Chinese knot on their back. W Beijing’s All Day Dining Restaurant known as the Kitchen Table, resembles a food laboratory. The entrance area of the restaurant, otherwise known as the ‘research area’ presents many bookshelves and bookcases that form a spiral shape. A depiction of dumplings adorns the brick wall of the main dining area as well as small gold features in the shape of dumplings. The dining tables are shaped like clumps of rice. As you walk to the back of the restaurant, there is an open-air atrium and a herbal garden. The Away Spa’s invigorating yellow colour scheme echoes the exceptional spa experiences that it has on offer, featuring honey-based treatments and other rejuvenating regimens. W Beijing’s Fitness Centre and Swimming Pool are also available for use. AB Concept beautifully designed the W Beijing, giving established chinese traditions a modern, innovative twist. Their second W Hotel in China adds a new level of international luxury to the market, paying particular attention to fashion, music and Tian Yuan Di Fang. About AB Concept Since launching in 1999, AB Concept has earned a reputation as the design firm of choice for the world’s leading hoteliers, luxury developers and premium restaurant operators. Led by co-founders, Ed Ng and Terence Ngan, AB Concept’s designs are underpinned by the core fundamentals of architectural precision and a bespoke approach to interior detailing. Uniquely positioned as a luxury atelier, AB Concept comprises an international team of over 80 specialists from the fields of decorative and architectural design. AB Concept oversees every design aspect of a project, creating consistent, cohesive and wholly integrated environments. Mastering these dual disciplines, AB Concept has built a reputation for attracting a variety of clients and diverse projects. www.abconcept.net