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Kimpton Qiantan Shanghai Hotel
By : Graphia International Limited
GRANDS PRIX DU DESIGN – 17th edition
Discipline : Communication & Branding
Categories : Environmental Design / Signage : Gold Certification
Kimpton Qiantan Shanghai is an IHG boutique hotel located at Shanghai. The interior design inspiration came from its muse Zhang AiLing, an influential Shanghainese writer and novelist, whose work is regarded to be amongst the best Chinese literature. She travelled the world for discovery and inspiration. She was socially active, respected by her peers and a contributor to her community.
The signage design extended the poetic story of Zhang AiLing, expanding it into the very fabric of the hotel itself. It focused on creating a balance between calligraphy as a communication and calligraphy as an art form. Wayfinding information was presented in the traditional Chinese fashion, running vertically from top to bottom, and from right to left. It made use of the unique Chinese styles of punctuation, of long dashes and elegant brackets, and wove these elements into the graphic presentation style.
We paid particular attention to spacing, and the relationship between the text and the surroundings and, as far as was practical, minimized materials by utilizing the walls of the hotel themselves.
Extensive use of cut-out lettering was used which, whilst more difficult to produce successfully, resulted in a design that adhered closely to the principles and beauty of traditional Chinese calligraphy.
Collaboration
Communication & Branding : Graphia International Limited
