The design of the first Canopy hotel in Asia Pacific, the Hotel Canopy by Hilton Chengdu City Centre designed by Hong Kong-based firm CCD / Cheng Chung Design, blends Chinese and Western charms, intertwined with old-fashioned feelings and vitality, elegant and unconventional style, bringing guests a lively Chengdu style and the comfort and warmth of home.
Chengdu, the starting point of Silk Road 2000 years ago, during the time of Ming Dynasty, on the southwest of Tianfu Square was the imperial city of the Kingdom. Looking from the city wall, the city is full of blue bricks, tile houses, and courtyards, there are street hawkers on the old streets selling their products, and when the sound of ancient temple bells spreads, adding an ancient charm to the city of Chengdu. After a series of historical changes, during the reign of Kangxi Emperor and Qing Dynasty, the Imperial City was converted into a “Gong Yuan”, which is a site for the imperial examination.
Located in the heart of the city’s central axis and across the bustling landmark of Tianfu Square, Chengdu’s Hilton Landmark Hotel is within walking distance of many cultural highlights including the Chengdu Museum, People’s Park, Qingyang Palace, Kuanzhai Alley and Chengdu’s largest temple, Wenshu Yuan Monastery. Excellent location links to local neighborhoods, allowing guests to easily integrate into local culture and experience the most authentic Chengdu life.
The design revolves around the story of “the scholar goes to the city to take the imperial exam”, traversing the memory corridor of the imperial city, capturing the auspicious details hidden in the green brick wall, on the street view of the market, in the peddler stall and the courtyard. The history of the hotel has been reconstructed while exploring and re-writing the new story of the Imperial City memory.
A row of green bamboos is in front of the drop-off area of the hotel, which forms a shadow that can different from the outside world, leaving the prosperous shackles behind, creating a leisurely temperament that calms and slows you down. The design of the door canopy derives from the elements of the arch, and the bags of the ancient scholars, using columns of the wooden strips, interspersed, and laminated to reproduce the beauty of Chinese classical architecture.
The unusual experience would definitely be Canopy’s greeting to Chengdu’s chic opening, which is artistic, and courteous. The first-floor reception hall is designed as an art exhibition hall, creating a humanistic space under the artistic conception. Up to 9 meters in the reception lobby, recreating the historical streetscape of the old imperial city. The streetscape of the past is vividly displayed in front of the guests, under the large art installation of the roof, to open a dialogue of time and space. The chair hanging in the elevator hall is a reproduction of ancient ‘Gongyuan’ scenes by modern artistic techniques.
Entering the elevator, guests would be surprised to find a golden gong hanging up, which signifies having a good result in the imperial examination and good fortune.
Along the way scholars rushing to the Imperial Exam, they finally arrived at the Tianfu market, a lively and interesting market with a variety of goods. Canopy Central on the 31st floor is a brand-name public space, including reception area, lobby bar, all-day-dining restaurant, lounge, multi-functional conference area, transfer lounge, where is dedicated to provide a place for guests who have to stay for a while to check in after arriving at the hotel or check out, they are free to wash, temporarily store their luggage and rest.
Diversity and openness are the characteristics of this place. Designers introduce the concept of ancient markets into the passionate and energetic Chengdu culture. With exquisite observations and historical memories as the inspiration, the design combines the imagery of the East and the West, the past and the modern scenes of the city.
Canopy’s unique brand color – bright orange has been applied throughout the design to bring guests a positive and beautiful life aspiration in the elegant walkway to experience the vitality and fashion. The panda in front of each guestroom in different poses, sitting or standing, or lying, or holding a book with a room number in his hands as if they are welcoming the owner to go home and making people feel interesting and warm.
The relaxation and pleasure after entering the guestroom is represented through the quaint texture and exquisite details, showing the calm and unpretentious attitude of life, build a balance in the selection, composition and color.
The design concept of the guestroom originated from the idea of “Gong Yuan” and inspired by the film “A Chinese Ghost Story” to connect the whole design to the project. The Canopy brand classic L-shaped bedside, as well as the bedside table inspired by the actor in “A Chinese Ghost Story” Leslie Cheung’s backpack, the shower space of the rice paper laminated glass, also comes from the classic scene of the film – Leslie Cheung breaking through the doors and windows made of Xuan paper, the designer has used the modern techniques to interpret the ancient paper doors and windows, so that the whole design is closely related to the story in terms of form, image and material.