Founder of Hong Kong’s Cheng Chung Design, Joe Cheng, knew exactly what weary travelers and over-stimulated city dwellers would need upon visiting The Mandarin Oriental Guangzhou—a respite from the intense hustle of one of China’s largest, most highly urban transportation hubs.
The team created the interiors for the hotel’s entrance, lobby, lounge area and Cake Shop, complete with a coffee bar and the service of afternoon tea, not to mention the confections so delectable they are encased like jewelry in display cases throughout.
Originally unrecognizable as it was situated next to the boisterous Taikoo Hui shopping center, CCD increased the Mandarin Oriental’s visibility by allowing guests to begin their journey in a more meaningful way, installing two huge screens to pass through into an art gallery vibe inside, featuring paintings and sculptures. Green then overwhelms the hallway into the Cake Shop lobby (which was coincidentally an art gallery prior to the remodel) to give the impression you’ve found your way into a private oasis. Cabinets in here feature French-style curved lines in contrast to the more angular design features to come as one explores deeper into the space.
Classic Lingnan-style architecture favors more pale colors (think green and white), avoids circular structures and integrates many open ones like balconies and verandas because of the climate. Materials prone to mold due to the heat and humidity are also avoided. For example, Cheng replaced the beige wood from the original interiors with beige stone.
So, it was perfectly apropos when Cheng decided to draw inspiration for this project from 19th century English architect, topographical illustrator and artist Thomas Allom’s work, featured throughout the Cake Shop lobby and private lounge rooms. His paintings beautifully portray this Eastern architecture amongst tranquil gardens, helping Cheng to organize the space through Allom’s scenography.
“The Lingnan garden exhibits the features of ‘meandering paths and diverse landscapes,’” Cheng said. “The spatial arrangement of the cake shop is evocative of that. After navigating the twisting hallway, the lobby area abruptly expands. The room also has a strong connection to the outside world, which brings comfort and peace to the city.” This allows for an interplay of light and shadow in this area that makes the cakes and patisseries center stage in case goods crafted from glass and dark bronze.
CCD takes the customer experience to the next level, with the main display case featuring a retractable, push-pull operation that allows them to pick out their own orders. The customized bar counter is backdropped with shelving shaped to reinforce the geometric Lingnan design elements, as do the floor tiles in the more private seating areas. The Cake Shop doubles as the lobby bar and hosts a variety of events from private dinner parties to baking or floral design classes.
Boundaries are not part of the equation here, as both larger scale on the walls and smaller versions of the Allom illustrations up against screens (which reinforce an Oriental atmosphere) create constant movement and connections to the outdoors.
“It counterbalances the rigid materials and geometric shapes of the hard décor, maintaining a calm ambience across the entire room,” Cheng said of the cozy lounge area.
These design juxtapositions lead to a classic elegance that maintains a connection to more modern day Asian culture. This results in an understated luxury guests want to continually surround themselves with.
