InterContinental Dongguan is the first five-star luxury hotel in Dongguan, situated at Minying · International Trade Center, which is the first super complex in the city and an iconic commercial destination in the Greater Bay Area. With a gross floor area of more than 1 million square meters and a maximum height of 423 meters, the complex dominates the skyline of the CBD area and the whole city.
Project Name: Intercontinental Dongguan
Studio Name: CCD
Location: Dongguan, China
Photography: CCD
Project Area: 28,995.75㎡
Completion Time: December 2020
The interior design of the hotel mainly draws inspiration from local elements including Keyuan Garden, cyperus malaccensis, Lingnan paintings and Huangqi Mountain. It interprets cultural symbols in a modern context, and showcases a picture where elegant Lingnan culture interweaves with modern exquisite lifestyle.
Fusion of ancient charm and modern style
Dongguan is an important cradle of Lingnan landscape culture. It’s a place where Cantonese culture, Hakka culture and Tanka culture merge and coexist. Cyperus malaccensis, lion dance, Keyuan Garden, Qilou building (arcade houses) and more shape the unique Lingnan water town culture, and endow Dongguan with unique humanistic and cultural charm. Based on the local cultural context, CCD tries to portray a new lifestyle in the hotel, and to interpret as well as renew the image of the city.
With a pool, the drop-off area keeps a low profile. The water surface dynamically ripples with breeze, and reflects the pomegranate tree, the moving clouds and the sky.
The lobby draws on the spatial pattern of Keyuan Garden, a famous local historical attraction which is composed of various constructions and spaces arranged at staggering heights. Mangnolia, the city flower of Dongguan, is translated into a distinctive glittering artwork and is inlaid into the central screen wall.
The backdrop wall of the lobby adopts the undulating form of wok-ear house (also known as “Huo’er house”), a traditional dwelling in Lingnan region, to enrich the spatial form and blend local culture into the space.
Beside the lobby is the executive lounge. The stylish lighting fixtures, art books and ceramic ornaments endow the space with vitality and imagination. The neat spiral staircase is outlined by black, gray and white curved lines, which create dynamic rhythm and pleasing visual experiences.
Artistic interpretation and refined lifestyle
The luxury yet sedate design languages and cultural symbols produce an atmosphere where Lingnan culture and modern exquisite lifestyle interweave, which showcases the refinement and evolution of exquisite modernism.
The all-day-dining restaurant takes design cues from the semi-pavilion surrounded by lychee trees in Keyuan Garden. The semi-pavilion’s gray stone paving, bricks and tiles are translated into marble flooring in this space. In addition, the design also extracts elements like window patterns and grilles from traditional Lingnan architecture.
The hollowed-out patterns ensure the transparency of the space. Meanwhile, the unique forms and implications integrated into design elements help create a more playful, pleasing dining experience.
The red wall surface in the Chinese restaurant echoes the red sandstones highlighted in traditional Lingnan gardens. Complemented by the outdoor green landscape, the red wall appears vigorous and auspicious.
The source of inspiration for the ballroom design is the fabled lantern on the top of Huangqi Mountain. The lighting fixtures emit golden light, which is flexible yet graceful, creating a pleasing banquet atmosphere.
Reminiscence of past days
Dongguan is famous for cyperus malaccensis, a kind of thin long sedge grass that has contributed to the development of the local culture and manufacturing industry. The guestroom is folded out by referring to the circulation of traditional Lingnan gardens. The backdrop wall of the headboard incorporates local grass weaving craftsmanship and elements, reminiscent of the past days of Dongguan.
