HOUSE STYLE

Design acolytes will find plenty to love at The Middle House, Swire Hotels’ latest winning property in the heart of Shanghai’s

commercial district.

There are chandeliers and then there are chandeliers. The new Middle House in Shanghai lays claim to the latter, with its spectacular piece of ceiling adornment. Enter the lobby and you’re confronted with a massive 3,760-piece Venetian masterpiece. Featuring 35 shapes such as flowers, leaves, bowls and candles, the beautiful behemoth took Italian glass master Fabiano Zanchi six months to craft, and another month to assemble on site.

It’s a fitting introduction to Swire Hotels’ latest swish addition to its House Collective, a group of design-led hotels. Situated in Shanghai’s historic Dazhongli neighbourhood, The Middle House is designed by Milan-based architect Piero Lissoni, who imbues it with his signature understated elegance.

Every corner bears out Lissoni’s haute design ethos, from the specially commissioned bamboo tiles and chandelier, to the hotel’s lobby, which is illuminated by flickering candles placed by staff every evening. This space is a mini gallery of sorts, with its contemporary artworks by Chinese-Australian artist Lindy Lee, whose burn-hole-riddled creations share the stage with Hong Kong-based Caroline Cheng’s kimono installation, which is covered with 12,000 tiny, handmade porcelain butterflies.

For the rooms, Lissoni turns his practised eye to traditional Chinese furniture, creating updated oriental-style nightstands, contemporary table