COMMON MAGAZINE EUROPE - FALL 2017

COMMON//FALL 2017//
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
dollars, to build.
Much of that went into commissioning
dozens of quirky sculptures, avant-garde
paintings and murals, displayed across the
indoor and outdoor spaces. Wang is known
as an art connoisseur and supporter of
Chinese contemporary culture. The
experience begins when you step into the
palatial lobby, dominated by the Splendid
Orient, an enormous impressionist painting
of Shanghai by contemporary artist Shi Qi.
The custom masterpiece showcases an
abstract expression of the vibrant and
modern metropolis, which has gone
through a great socio-economic
metamorphosis over the last two decades.
Many of the hotel rooms overlook the
city’s evolving skyline, plus tinier art pieces.
We stayed in a corner room with floor-toceiling
windows facing the Bund, Huangpu
River and the modern Pudong district —
with the kitschy Oriental Pearl Tower in
plain sight. An Ogawa massage chair, a rare
hotel amenity, is placed beside the window,
encouraging maximum use. Delicate silkembroidered
magnolia motifs over the bed,
plus amber-coloured rhinestones, 3D
mosaic tiling and a gold claw-foot tub in the
bathroom illustrate the room’s flamboyant
intent.
Cutting-edge technology is ubiquitous.
Peepholes are swapped with convenient
digital screens to show a live feed of whose
waiting at the door and iPad smart controls
replace the use of buttons and knobs for
curtains, lightings and temperature
settings.
Out of the hotel’s five dining marquees,
we opted for the fifth-level He Japanese
restaurant. Open only at night, we suggest
sitting at the sleek bar as Tokyo-native chef
Kikuchi Yoshiyuki will offer you his
specially concocted and very potent
shochu to pair with omakase-style dishes
and Edomae sushi.
Head to the rooftop bar Marc after
dinner and toast Shanghai’s high life with
an array of speciality cocktails. When it’s
finally time to leave, the hotel’s
chauffeured Rolls-Royce Phantom,
supposedly owned by Wang himself, is
available to see you to the airport in style.
44