The Temple House — Chengdu, China
 
Making a mark on China’s hospitality scene is no mean feat but the recently opened Temple House in downtown Chengdu is shaping up as the place to see and be seen.
The 100-room ultra-luxe hotel designed by London-based Make Architects around a sequence of contemporary courtyards references the nearby 1,000-year-old Daci Temple while the hotel’s distinctive 3-dimensional ‘woven’ grey brick façade was inspired by traditional Sichuan embroidery.
Inside, the understated interiors are a harmonious blend of timber, brick and stone while the guest rooms are simple but sophisticated urban sanctuaries decorated in a soothing earthy palette with locally produced contemporary ceramics and textiles. All feature enormous spa-inspired bathrooms while the best suites also sport covetable balconies.
Aside from two international restaurants and the ultra-stylish Jing bar (all designed by New York-based AvroKO), the real stars of the show are a hundred-year-old Qing Dynasty courtyard building transformed into a dramatic hotel entrance lobby, library and gallery, and a serene urban day spa complete with a traditional Tea House in a historic courtyard building with brick and wood carvings.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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Catherine Shaw is a writer, editor and consultant specialising in architecture and design. She has written and contributed to over ten books, including award-winning monographs on art collector and designer Alan Chan, and on architect William Lim's Asian design philosophy. She has also authored books on architect André Fu, on Turkish interior designer Zeynep Fadıllıoğlu, and on Beijing-based OPEN Architecture's most significant cultural projects across China.
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