In the core area of Kunming Changshui International Airport, Chengji · Dianzhong Hotel uses "stainless steel art installations" as a medium to deeply integrate the mountain and water artistic conception of Yunnan with modern design language. The hotel has created a travel and residence space that combines regional cultural characteristics with international quality through customized stainless steel decoration, allowing guests to immerse themselves in the artistic charm of "coexistence of metal and nature" during their journey through the clouds.
I. Design Concept: Deconstruct the symbols of Yunnan and reshape the spatial narrative
The designer takes "flowing Plateau" as the core concept, abstracting natural and cultural elements such as terraced fields, stone forests and peacock feathers in Yunnan into geometric lines. Through technical means such as mirror reflection of stainless steel, etching process and three-dimensional modeling, a dynamic visual narrative is constructed in the space. For example:
The entrance of the lobby: It adopts a titanium gold stainless steel etched curtain wall, transforming the layered outline of the Hani rice terraces into a relief texture. Combined with the water ripple stainless steel ceiling on the top, under the refraction of light, it forms a shimmering "sea of clouds" image, metaphorically representing the regional feature of Yunnan as the "South of Colorful Clouds".
Public corridor: The walls are based on brushed rose gold stainless steel plates, with abstract patterns of Dai peacock feathers laser-cut out. Paired with embedded warm light strips, it creates a poetic atmosphere of "light and shadow piercing the forest".
Ii. Eight Major Application Scenarios of Stainless Steel Decoration
1. Welcoming Ceremony: A Dialogue between Metal and Nature
Hotel entrance: Double-opening mirror-finish stainless steel door. The surface is treated with vacuum titanium plating to present a gradient peacock blue, which echoes the deep blue sky of Yunnan. The door frame is embedded with a stainless steel mortise and tenon structure, which coincides with the mortise and tenon wisdom of traditional architecture and endows modern materials with an Oriental charm.
Front desk background wall: A three-dimensional mountain-shaped installation made of stainless steel honeycomb panels, with a matte texture formed by nano-spraying on the surface, simulating the undulating peaks of the stone Forest in Yunnan.
2. Spatial Reconstruction: A Balance between transparency and Privacy
Lobby screen: Titanium gold stainless steel perforated partition, inspired by the "Tea Horse Road", laser-engraved elements such as horse caravans and camel bells, which not only divide the space but also maintain visual transparency. The bottom of the screen is embedded with LED light strips, which project flowing light and shadow at night, as if the camel caravans on the ancient road were moving through the dusk.
The dining area partition: matte rose gold stainless steel grille, combined with wired glass, creates a dining environment where the real and the illusory complement each other. The spacing of the grilles has been precisely calculated, ensuring privacy without affecting the penetration of natural light.
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 mirror-polished to reflect light, making the space appear more spacious.
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: A Flowing Epic of the Plateau
Lobby sculpture: A "terraced field image" installation forged from stainless steel, composed of dozens of irregular mirror-finish stainless steel plates spliced together, creating a three-dimensional visual effect through Angle adjustment. When tourists view the sculpture from different angles, it reflects the dynamic images of the surrounding environment, as if the terraced fields were "growing" in the play of light and shadow.
Elevator hall Art Wall: Stainless steel etched murals, inspired by the unique "Dongba script" of Yunnan, transform pictographic characters into abstract geometric shapes and are paired with a gradient titanium gold coating, presenting mysterious cultural symbols as the elevator opens and closes.
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 peacock blue, 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 totems of ethnic minorities in Yunnan, allowing guests to experience the warmth of the regional culture up close while dining.
V. Conclusion: Metal Verses Above the Clouds
The City Trace · Dianzhong Hotel transforms the natural wonders and cultural heritage of Yunnan 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 move through, they can not only catch a glimpse of the flowing clouds on the plateau through the mirror-finish stainless steel ceiling, but also trace the history of the ancient Tea Horse Road in the etched patterns. Eventually, in the eternal texture of the metal, they can find a poetic abode that belongs to Yunnan.
project Archive
project Name: City Trace · Dianzhong Hotel (Kunming Changshui International Airport Branch)
Design Unit: XX Design Office
Main materials: 304 stainless steel, titanium gold coating, etching process, mirror polishing
Completion time: December 2024
Awards: "Best Metal Decoration Application Award" at the 2025 Asia-Pacific Hotel Design Awards
