Changsha Mehood Elegant Hotel is located in China Resources Land Center, Kaifu District, within the core business district of Wuyi Square IFS International Finance Square. Surrounded by thriving commerce, abundant gourmet options, numerous scenic spots, and profound cultural heritage, it lays an excellent foundation for guests to embark on a wonderful journey in the Star City (Changsha). The hotel’s design is deeply rooted in the cultural genes of Yuelu Academy, integrating the historical form of towers with the lofty imagery of bookcases in the academy’s library, highlighting the significant position of Huxiang culture in Chinese civilization.
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Changsha Mehood Elegant Hotel
Hospitality Interior (Built)
Firm
JDKJ Design
Architect/Designer
Felix Lin
Design Team
Yiqing Lin, Zijie Deng, Keren Chung, Jianyu Huang, Ziting Chen, Jianmin Lin, Enze Chen
Location
Hunan Province, China
Country
China
Photographer/Copyright
©Shangzhi Lili Photography Studio
Website
https://seedandbloomcafe.com/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/seedandbloomcafe/
Facebook
N/A
Whatsapp
N/A
In the welcoming lobby on the first floor, the majestic book tower, inspired by Yuelu Academy, symbolizes knowledge and wisdom, echoing the enduring Chinese culture. Beside it, golden maple leaves sway gently; the allusion of the Six Dynasties Pine, set off by lighting, transforms into a cultural symbol in the space, conveying the spirit of inheritance of the academy. The elevator area creates a warm atmosphere with soft lighting, and the cultural phrases inscribed on the walls, condensing the confidence of Huxiang culture, seem to unfold the historical panorama of Changsha as the elevator ascends and descends. Stepping out of the elevator, cubic art installations exude a mysterious and elegant aura amid light and shadow. The bookshelves on both sides of the corridor draw on the essence of the windows of Yuelu Academy; on one side, the metal ancient building installation of Aiwan Pavilion, infused with gradient red maple tones, adds vitality. At the end, the conference room door is adorned with the characters “Changsha” and patterns of ancient hair crowns, fully displaying the city’s heritage.
The sky lobby on the 36th floor, with transparent glass partitions, exquisite flower arrangements, and simple furniture, achieves a blend of modernity and art. The mountain views outside the windows and the red maples indoors complement each other, forming a picture where nature and humanity interweave. The check-in area in the lobby incorporates the scene of the rising sun into the acrylic wall, echoing the reception desk; the legend of “Three Islets Connected, Producing a Top Scholar” resonates here, while the swing and horse-shaped sculpture embody the spirit of enterprise. Inside the moon gate, the book pavilion houses wisdom, and the bar serves as an ideal spot for casual conversations. In the all-day dining restaurant, the red chili art installation is both a visual focus and a symbol of Changsha’s passion; the simple and exquisite metal boat installation, the scroll-like ceiling lights, and the writing brush-shaped chandeliers add a touch of liveliness. The Aiwan Pavilion-themed paintings tell the city’s stories, allowing guests to perceive Huxiang culture while enjoying culinary experiences. The headboard background in guest rooms, with the imagery of books wrapped in gold threads, implicitly echoes the implication that “there is a golden house in books,” creating a quiet haven amid prosperity.
The innovation of the design lies in deconstructing historical and cultural elements into symbols and imagery, then reconstructing them through modern materials and spatial language, enabling natural dialogue between tradition and the contemporary era. For example, the book tower’s modern expression of the academy’s spirit and the abstract interpretation of regional culture through the Aiwan Pavilion installation both break away from the mode of concrete replication, bringing Huxiang culture from classics into daily experiences. While introducing a new paradigm of culture-immersive accommodation to the market, it allows guests, as they move through the space, to both feel the comfort of modern spaces and touch the warmth of historical context.
During the design process, balancing cultural depth with modern experiences in commercial spaces, avoiding the stuffing of symbols, and ensuring that international audiences understand the cultural connotations all required repeated deliberation and adjustment between material properties and design imagery. The coordination and differentiation of cultural elements in various spaces also needed precise control to avoid redundancy or fragmentation. The hotel design emphasizes the timelessness of details and the durability of materials. By refining cultural elements and integrating them with modern design language, the space not only meets current functional needs but also conveys cultural value for a long time, reducing resource consumption caused by excessive decoration and achieving the unity of aesthetics and sustainability.
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