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Wang Jin's fashion item "Dream of China" at The Opposite House in Beijing
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter
While most high-end hotels are usually decorated with unobtrusive, not-so-memorable art pieces, The Opposite House in Beijing boasts of a collection of Chinese artworks revolving around the theme of fashion and design.
The Opposite House, a striking six-story building with an emerald green facade designed by famed Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, may look more like a cool art gallery or a very stylish office building.
This ``intriguing urban hotel'' is a showcase for unique works by young contemporary Chinese artists such as Wang Jin, Li Xiao Feng, Chen Qing Qing, Fiona Wong, Kum Chi Keung and Pamela See.
Alex Chen, assistant director for sales and communications at The Opposite House, said the hotel's location, in the middle of The Village at Sanlitun, a new leisure, shopping and cultural development, greatly influenced the choice of fashion-inspired art works on display.
``We thought of how to relate The Opposite House with the retail section of The Village at Sanlitun. It's all retail, clothing and fashion related shops. Our art consultant, Alison Pickett, said `let's do fashion art.' So now we have a beautiful qi pao made of porcelain, and there's an imperial robe made of clear plastic PVC,'' Chen told The Korea Times, last week.
Li Xiao Feng's ``Beijing Memory no. 1'' and ``Beijing Memory No. 2'' are qi pao, or traditional Chinese dresses made of shattered blue and white Ming and Qing dynasty porcelain. Fiona Wong sewed together white and chocolate-colored terracotta pieces with copper wire to make the armor-like pieces ``White Wings'' and ``Black Flower.''
For ``Dream of China,'' Wang Jin created an ancient Emperor-style dragon robe made of PVC plastic, embroidered with colored fishing wire and hung against a dark brown background. A kimono made of grass and pearls, ``Gown No.1'' by Chen Qing Qing, is on display in the atrium.
Not all the art works revolve around fashion, but all of them were chosen for their distinctive aesthetic qualities.
Pamela See, an artist specializing in traditional paper cutting, made ten oversized white ``Feathers'' suspended in mid air, while Kum Chi Keung created an acrylic and wooden birdcage, ``Intrusion.''
All of the art works were by Chinese artists, not just from mainland China but also artists based in Hong Kong, Australia and the United Kingdom.
While The Opposite House caters to the high-end market, it doesn't close its doors to anyone who might want to drop by the lobby to look at its beautiful art collection.
``We want people to feel like they can go to our hotel and they won't be stared down because they're not guests. … When the weather's nice, we leave the wooden doors open and people can look in. If they come in, we welcome them. People always think we're a museum or art gallery because we don't look like a typical high-end hotel,'' Chen said.
Owned by Swire Properties, The Opposite House's atypical look is owed to architect Kuma, who designed the hotel with the idea of ``creating a spatial experience of light and space.'' The overall theme is ``urban forest,'' hence the use of various elements such as water, wood and metal in the interior design.
It's this sophisticated design aesthetic and emphasis on art and fashion that Chen hopes would attract Korean travelers to The Opposite House. Not to mention the exciting new, innovative restaurants and bars at the hotel.
``If Koreans are into design and want to see what's new and innovative in Beijing, they should stay at The Opposite House. If they are foodies, they would love (restaurant) Bei for its mix of North Asian cuisine. … My firm belief is once you try it out for yourself and get your foot in the door, the hotel will sell itself. The experience will really sell itself and it will become memorable,'' Chen said.
Visit www.theoppositehouse.com.
cathy@koreatimes.co.kr
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