Shougang Park a major player within Beijing's recent industrial and urban regeneration
The overall structural design was undertaken by Milan-based architect, Lissoni Casal Ribeiro, renowned for specializing in master plans, architecture and landscape design. The historic concrete frame of the building has been retained and incorporated into what can be seen today. It is fascinating to simply sit in the lounge, look up and around to spot which elements come from the power plant and how they have been blended in with the modernity along with the vegetation and water that enhance the ground floor's attractiveness. The design reads as a successful attempt to bring elements of nature into key locations of the hotel. A wooden gentle arch bridge spans a linear pond, above which hangs a flock of birds suspended from the ceiling. Indeed such links, bringing nature to life is a recurring theme within the hotel.
What fascinated me was how the past legacy was kept alive, particularly when combined with modern styling. I would sit in the lounge, taking in the various levels of aesthetic beauty and wondering how workers, who once toiled here, would react to this transformation. A scenario where a building once designed simply as an essential component of vast steelworks is becoming seen as s potential model for retaining such industrial heritage. Indeed, there are photographs and wall murals remembering its 100 years of history, blending different eras.
There is also a subtle use of the colors red, green and dark blue, reflecting something of Beijing's imperial past.
