CHAO Hotel & Clubhouse

With many people nowadays considering traveling to be lonely and stressful experiences, the newly opened CHAO aims to create a welcoming space for all travelers. Encased in a sleek and modern building with a beautiful glass facade, CHAO isn’t just a typical boutique hotel; the same space houses a clubhouse that’s focused around shared social experiences for both locals and out-of-town visitors alike. To turn their vision of this community-centric space into a reality, CHAO brought in the talented Chinese designer Wang Yenchih.

现在越来越多人觉得旅行是件孤独又操心的事儿，但是最近新开的CHAO酒店希望为旅行者们创造一个热情好客的环境。以亮眼的高大玻璃表面展示出建筑风格上的摩登和时尚，CHAO可不是一般的精品酒店，其酒店内为当地居民和外地游客设有供设计和分享的俱乐部。为了把这种社区为中心的空间设计转化为现实，CHAO特邀才华横溢的中国设计师王彦智负责整个项目。

The brand name “CHAO” has the same pronunciation as the Chinese character for “nest.” Thus, the CHAO design team used the connection between different languages and cultures, making “nest” one of the core concepts for the overall design. The 180 rooms and five different areas of the hotel all revolve around the idea of animal nests, with single each space designed to be as cozy and as home-like as possible. Light is another one of the most central elements in the hotel’s overall design. By bringing in GD-Lighting Design, who has previously worked on high-profile projects like the Nanjing Youth Olympics Stadium, their emphasis on the importance of lighting is abundantly clear. Even before entering the hotel, their attentiveness to the effects of right lighting can be felt – a soothing yellow glow gently radiates from the first-floor window, beckoning visitors off the bustling Beijing streets and into the warmth of the hotel lobby.

在中文中，“CHAO”与汉字“巢”同音，设计团队从C-H-A-O四个字母出发，将“巢”作为核心设计理念之一，巧妙运用了多种语言文化之间的联系。180间客房，5种房型的设计灵感源自动物栖息的“巢”，每一个空间都力求提供仿若回到家中般的入住体验。照明也是酒店整体设计的另一个核心要素。大观国际设计咨询有限公司蜚声国际，之前承接了如南京青年奥林匹克体育馆一类备受关注的项目。酒店采用他们的灯光设计，充分凸显了其对照明的高要求。即使还未踏进酒店，就能感知这里的灯光运用，客人潜移默化地被牵引。从一楼窗户里折射出的黄色光晕柔和舒缓，慰藉这来往于熙熙攘攘北京街头的游客，送去酒店大堂里散发的温暖。

Designed to be a diversified and multileveled space, CHAO’S narrow entrance gives way to a spacious atrium lobby. As one of the most important and visually striking areas of the hotel, the atrium has a central stairway that connects various areas of the hotel with one another. By incorporating design concepts and a light set up that’s more commonly seen in art galleries, they’ve broken all traditional boundaries. Overhead, the ceiling consists of densely arranged fabric, while the lighting arrangement behind the textile ceiling gives the fabrics the illusion of floating effortlessly. Per the intent of the design team, every element of this area harmoniously comes together to lend the atrium a post-modernist feel.

为了打造出一种多元化、多层次的空间环境，CHAO特意设置了一个狭窄的入口，可以直达宽敞的大堂中厅。作为一个酒店最重要和最能带给人视觉冲击的区域，中庭中央有一个连接酒店各个空间的楼梯。借鉴室内设计手法，将美术馆的灯光设计理念很好地融入进来，打破灯光设计的传统界限。顶部疏密排布的布艺天花板，通过线性灯背光处理，创造出整个天花轻巧漂浮的视觉效果。设计团队的每一份用心都在力图让空间的细节完美统一地呈现出后现代主义的风格。

The restaurant area is designed to be atmospheric and emotional. The exposed ceiling of first floor bar lends a modern and industrial feel to the space, but still manages to retain a sense of luxury. The choice of lighting, from the candle-like luminaries to the large illuminated ceiling, doesn’t stray from the sophisticated elegance of the rest of the hotel, but was created while taking into consideration the intoxicated debauchery that will no doubt take place within the space.

CHAO的餐厅设计希望传递出更多情感和营造更佳的氛围。一楼酒吧区露天区域为餐厅呈现出极具现代气息的工业感。从蜡烛，灯具到超大的照明天花板，灯光不仅与整个酒店优雅精致相辅相成，还考虑了为酒吧里营造的迷离和沉醉的气氛。

The Sunlight Hall is described as the “most chic” area of the hotel. The walls here extend upwards, bending towards one another before finally meeting overhead at a curved angle. The space is meant to be airy and open, and the diffused light that illuminates the space serves to reinforce the feeling of openness. In terms of functionality, the Sunlight Hall is meant to offer a wide range of uses, from private events to art exhibitions.

“日光大厅”被认为是酒店最别具一格的区域。墙面向上延伸，直至在顶部以一定的弯角相连接，这样的设置让空间呈现轻盈和开放感，照明的灯光四散开来，加大宽阔开放之感。从私人聚会到艺术展览，“日光大厅”能够满足各式各样的场地需求。

By understanding the importance of light and masterfully using it to compliment the architecture and interior decor, the designers behind CHAO have created one of the innovative spaces in Beijing, a space that’s more than just a generic hotel for transient businessmen and tourists. The clubhouse concept is an extension of CHAO’s ambitious vision; they see it as a space filled with unlimited possibilities, a social haven where like-minded locals can meet up, and a welcoming destination for out-of-town visitors where they can easily connect with the local community.

设计师对光影的深刻理解，并将其娴熟巧妙地运用于整个酒店设计和内部装饰中，让CHAO不仅为过往的商旅客人提供一个栖息之所，更是打造出北京的潮流革新之地。俱乐部的概念更是彰显出酒店的眼界和抱负，这表明酒店也致力于提供一个汇集无限可能的空间，成为志同道合之人的社交平台，以及让外地旅客快速感受到当地氛围的热门之选。