At the confluence of the Yangtze River and Nanshan Mountain, the Sheraton Chongqing Hotel stands tall along Nanbin Road with the landmark image of the "Golden Twin Towers". Its architectural language not only pays tribute to the mountainous city's topography but also blends modern industrial aesthetics with the essence of Ba and Yu culture through customized stainless steel decoration, creating a flowing spatial poem. The following analyzes how stainless steel reconstructs the artistic narrative and sensory experience of hotels from three dimensions: design concept, scene application, and material craftsmanship.
I. Design Concept: Deconstructing Landscapes and Reconstructing the "Golden Age"
With the core concept of "Gilded Mountain City", the designer abstracted the three-dimensional terrain of Chongqing and the magnificent image of the confluence of two rivers into geometric lines. Through technical means such as mirror reflection of stainless steel materials, etching techniques, and three-dimensional modeling, a visual narrative of "coexistence of metal and nature" was constructed in the space. For example:
The exterior of the building: The curtain walls of the twin towers are made of titanium gold stainless steel composite panels. Through a gradient titanium plating process, the gilded texture of the setting sun over the Yangtze River is simulated. Combined with the three-dimensional curved panel technology, a smooth curved surface shape is created, making the building present a "flowing gold foil" effect under different lighting conditions.
The entrance to the lobby features a double-opening door with a stainless steel mortise and tenon structure. The surface is etched with the silhouette of a Ba-Yu stilt house, and the door frame is embedded with LED light strips. At night, it projects a dynamic effect of "light and shadow passing through the building", which is in line with Chongqing's urban characteristics as a "magical mountain city".
Ii. Eight Major Application Scenarios of Stainless Steel Decoration
1. Welcoming Ceremony: A Dialogue between Metal and Nature
The front desk background wall features a "confluence of Two Rivers" installation made of mirror-finish stainless steel honeycomb panels. Through laser cutting and seamless welding technology, the confluence of the Yangtze River and the Jialing River is transformed into a three-dimensional relief. The bottom of the device is embedded with frosted glass, which, in combination with the bottom lighting, creates an immersive scene of "river water overturning the metal riverbed".
Lobby sculpture: The "Mountain City Staircase" installation forged from stainless steel, composed of dozens of irregular mirror-finished stainless steel plates stacked on top of each other, creates a visual effect of spiral ascent through Angle adjustment. When tourists view the sculpture from different angles, it reflects the dynamic images of the surrounding environment, as if the steps were "growing" in the light and shadow.
2. Spatial Reconstruction: A Balance between transparency and Privacy
Public corridor screen: Titanium stainless steel hollowed-out partition, inspired by "Mountain City Walkway", laser-carved stilt house, 黄桷树 and other elements divide the space while maintaining visual transparency. Hidden LED light strips are embedded at the bottom of the screen, projecting soft ground light strips at night to guide the movement of passengers.
The banquet hall partition: matte rose gold stainless steel grating, combined with wired glass, creates a banquet environment where the real and the illusory complement each other. The grille spacing has been precisely calculated, ensuring privacy while not affecting the penetration of natural light. It is suitable for small wedding banquets and business meetings.
3. Detail Aesthetics: The unity of function and Art
Ceiling curvature: The top of the banquet hall is made of 304 stainless steel arc-shaped plates. Through three-dimensional curved plate technology, a smooth dome shape is created. The surface is treated with nano-spraying to form a matte texture, simulating the hazy and misty atmosphere of a mountain city.
Skirting board: Stainless steel U-shaped groove design, with built-in hidden LED lights, creating a soft ground light band at night, which not only enhances the illuminance of the space but also avoids the dust accumulation problem of traditional skirting boards.
Service counter cabinet body: Stainless steel cabinet body + rock plate countertop. The cabinet door adopts an invisible handle design and is equipped with an embedded intelligent sensing system to achieve "contactless service".
4. Art Installation: The Cultural Translation of Metal
Elevator hall Art Wall: Stainless steel etched mural, inspired by Chongqing's unique "Chuanjiang Chant", transforms the rhythm of chant sounds into abstract geometric shapes, combined with a gradient titanium gold coating, presenting the flow trajectory of sound as the elevator opens and closes.
Riverside view guest room wardrobe: The stainless steel door panels are etched with the water patterns of the Yangtze River, paired with brushed rose gold frames. When the cabinet doors are opened, the water patterns and the river view echo each other, enhancing the immersive feeling of "living by the river".
Iii. Material Language: The "Seventy-Two Transformations" of Stainless Steel
The hotel is highly ingenious in the selection and processing of stainless steel materials:
Surface treatment:
Mirror polishing: Used in public areas such as lobbies and elevators to enhance the sense of spatial transparency;
Brushed finish: Used for guest room doors, cabinets, etc., to enhance touch and durability;
Vacuum titanium plating: Achieves a variety of colors such as titanium gold, rose gold, and bronze, catering to the style requirements of different regions.
Structural innovation
Honeycomb panel composite structure: It reduces weight while ensuring strength and is suitable for large curtain walls and ceilings.
Laser welding + seamless grinding: Eliminates the splicing marks of traditional stainless steel products, presenting an ultimate aesthetic of craftsmanship.
Iv. Travel and Residence Experience: Metallic Warmth and Humanistic Care
Stainless steel decoration is not only a visual symbol, but also carries a profound consideration of the passenger experience:
Acoustic optimization: The composite wall with stainless steel perforated plates and sound-absorbing cotton effectively reduces noise in public areas such as lobbies and corridors.
Intelligent interaction: The stainless steel touch panels in the guest rooms integrate the control of lighting, air conditioning and curtains, and are seamlessly connected with the hotel's intelligent system.
Emotional resonance: The stainless steel tableware in the restaurant is engraved with the patterns of Ba-Yu folk houses, allowing guests to experience the warmth of the regional culture up close while dining.
V. Conclusion: Metal Verses Above the Clouds
The Sheraton Chongqing Hotel has transformed the three-dimensional landform of the mountain city, the surging momentum of the two rivers and the profound cultural heritage of Ba and Yu into a tangible and perceptible spatial language through customized stainless steel decoration. Here, stainless steel is no longer a cold industrial material, but has become a medium connecting tradition and modernity, nature and the city. As tourists shuttle through, they can not only catch a glimpse of the ripples of the Yangtze River in the mirror-finished stainless steel ceiling, but also trace the history of the Chuanjiang chant in the etched patterns. Eventually, in the eternal texture of the metal, they can find a poetic abode that belongs to Chongqing.
project Archive
project Name: Sheraton Chongqing Hotel
Design Unit: XX Design Office
Main materials: 304 stainless steel, titanium gold coating, etching process, mirror polishing
Completion time: September 2011
Awards: "Best Metal Decoration Application Award" at the 2022 Asia-Pacific Hotel Design Awards
