FILLING THE GAP
Intercontinental Shanghai Wonderland brings new purpose to a former quarry while maximising the qualities of its unusual location
The hidden depths of the Earth have long enthralled the scientific community and teased popular imagination. What lies beneath the Earth’s crust was the subject of Jules Verne’s iconic novel, A Journey to the Centre of the Earth, and for one particular hotel in China, this subterranean adventure serves as one of many richly evocative sources of inspiration. “The interior design of the hotel is inspired by an adventure to the centre of the earth,” explains Raymond Yao, general manager of Intercontinental Shanghai Wonderland, as he takes us on a guided tour around the property. “The island counters at the lobby are artistic representations of cliffs, the hotel facilities are the ‘power stops’ and the rooms act like caves of respite, before your downward journey continues.” We were here to celebrate the 200th hotel launched by the Intercontinental group; a milestone made more remarkable by the unusual setting of this property in Songjiang, a suburban district southwest of Shanghai. The Intercontinental Shanghai Wonderland, a former quarry, is an engineering feat and a project that’s over a decade in the making. Designed by the London and Shanghai-based practice Jade + QA, the project was led by architect and founder Martin Jochman, who is proud that the final outcome is “virtually identical” to the initial sketch he had done in 2006. The firm worked closely with Chinese developer Shimao and local firm ECADI (East China Architectural Design & Research Institute) to realise the project. “This is architecture that comes out of nature and its surroundings—it was really a scar on the surface of the earth,” says Jochman. “Despite its industrial history and surroundings, the quarry is a unique environment with cliffs, waterfalls, a 80-metre depth and a lake. The number one priority for this project was to create a landmark that doesn’t stand out like a sore thumb but fits in and becomes part of nature.”