CCD creates the interior design of the Mumian Chengdu Dong'an Lake Hotel

China's booming hotel industry has developed rapidly in recent years, which has also led to a development in terms of interior design. Themed hotels attentive to regional culture, local customs and local memory are very popular, with a design that reflects the characteristics of the hotel in order to attract customers.
The Shenzhen-based MUMIAN hotel chain thus turned to the CCD (Cheng Chung Design) Studio founded by architect Joe Cheng for the interior design of the Mumian Chengdu Dong'an Lake hotel, their first facility in the southwest of China, in Chengdu. Built primarily to support the 31st FISU World University Games in Chengdu to be held in 2023, it has become a popular local destination since its opening last year. The hotel is located in the Longquanyi district, formerly the name of a courier station, as well as a geographical name. The courier station, in fact, was decommissioned at the end of the Qing Dynasty, but the geographic name Longquanyi has been retained.
These are the very historical references behind the architectural project created by Joe Cheng and his team, with visits to Chengdu's multitude of tea houses, old streets and markets, which have been attentively translated into a spatial language that takes guests back to the pleasant lifestyle of the past.
Hence the great importance given to the local rattan weaving craftsmanship tradition, especially in the lobby: the rattan elements capture the attention of guests when they enter the space, creating a direct link with the city's charm. Bamboo is the other widely used material in the hotel's interior design, as Sichuan is rich in this traditional plant. It is no coincidence that in local tea houses we find bamboo elements that create a natural atmosphere reflecting the harmony between people and nature. For the Mumian Chengdu Dong'an Lake hotel, CCD created artistic lamps that draw inspiration from bamboo knots. Hotel guests are thus welcomed into a space that integrates elements of tea houses, plants and beautiful landscapes, allowing them to immediately feel the pleasant harmony with nature.
These characteristics of Chengdu's tea culture – from bamboo chairs to copper teapots and rattan weaving – have been skilfully extracted and translated by the design team into artistic expressions that beautify the space. The same thing is true in the guest rooms, where, however, the theme of the ancient Longquanyi courier station dominates with dividing screens made based on traditional rattan weaving craftsmanship, with a pendant lamp next to the head of the bed inspired by woven bamboo baskets. While the shape of the mini-bar area, instead, echoes the station's tea cabinets, integrating traditional charm and modern functions.
As far as materials are concerned red bricks, a typical symbol of local ancient architecture, have been used to build the interior walls adopting different patterns, introducing the architectural concepts inherited from the city of Chendu. The natural colour of the wood and the grey travertine, on the other hand, evoke a sense of order and tranquility, in particular in the stairways and corridors.
This approach of combining the past with the present permeates the entire interior design project conceived by CCD which, drawing on Chengdu's unique lifestyle, perfectly combines the image of local life with guests' needs for a memorable stay. All with a view over the sports arenas of the FISU World University Games.

Christiane Bürklein

Project: CCD / Cheng Chung Design (HK) (www.ccd.com.hk)
Location: Chengdu, China
Year: 2021
Images: Qiu Xin