Project Name: Hilton Garden Inn Shangri-La
Site: No. 144 Changzheng Avenue, Shangri-La
Area: 15,000 Sqm
Category: Business Hotel
Design Consultancy: YANG & Associates Group
Chief Designers:Yang Bangsheng, Huang Jia and Xu Xiaobing
Opening Date: 28th June, 2017
Photographer: Ma Xiaochun

It is a piece of pure land. It is a world of accent seclusion. In Tibetan, Shangri-La means “the sun and the moon in heart”. Nestled into the hinterland of Hengduan Mountainous region on the Tibetan plateau, the moonlight city looks pure and sacred under the blue sky, as if it is a secret volume of scripture, singing immemorial legends throughout the ripples of times. Today, this fairyland welcomes a new friend with long history, the Hilton Garden Inn Shangri-La.

By boldly increasing the height of its ceiling, YANG makes the original low and depressing lobby space transparent and spacious. The most representative Tibetan prayer wheel was extracted as decorative elements adorning the space. Accompanied with light and shades, they seem to convey the meaning of life and death. Designers reinterpreted the Auspicious Knot, one of the epitomes of the Tibetan culture, into metal ornament on the wall facing the entrance, expressing great wishes of good luck. YANG also changed the direction of Hilton Garden Inn’s iconic “L”-shaped wall, making it a standard but also a breakthrough.

Special wood structures of local architecture were applied into the lobby lounge design. A full-length displaying shelf adds a sense of majestic and transparent into the space. Furniture in the lobby lounge echoes the shape of the saddle, while colors and patterns of local folk costumes were used into designs of soft furnishings like cushions and carpets. Fire basket at the lounge area reflects local people’s special affection towards bonfire. With rich Tibetan characteristics, a space where the past meets present was created.

Horse stools at the corridor has the Tibetan culture extended to the all-day dining restaurant. The red and black color scheme visually connects the hotel and the local environment, while the usage of oil lamp, local wood and stones has vividly depicted the homespun lifestyle of Tibetan folks, making the entire ambiance resembles the home of locals a lot. Shapes of the lighting are also drawn from the prayer wheel which makes the design language of lobby and all-day dining restaurant stay consistent.

Bespoke bow-shaped door handles of the meeting room highlight the enthusiasm and heroism of the Tibetan people, and turquoise stones add a touch of vividness and exquisiteness into the space. Traditional Tibetan architecture, full-bloom azaleas and geometric snow mountain form up a mysterious Tibetan image on guestroom backdrop wall, leading the guests into a marvelous journey of the wonderland.

Shangri-La, a mysterious territory that hidden behind the horizon, tells the truth of life through thousands of years history. Through thorough studies of the distant and fantastic Tibetan culture in Shangri-La, YANG interpreted them into modern design language. With abstraction and symbolization, the rustic and authentic essence of Tibetan culture have been perfectly remained while a more ideal living style been created. In the name of design, YANG tells the story about life and eternity.