The recent Spring Eco Design Fair was hosted at The Waterhouse, a boutique hotel, which in it’s past life was a 1930′s shipyard building and warehouse.  Situated in the South Bund neighborhood of the Shiliupu district, the renovations were done by the architects Neri & Hu, with interiors and furniture by Arne Jacobsen, Finn Juhl, Hans Wegner and Antonio Citterio.   The building is an interesting mix of old and new that is sincere, without trying too hard (unlike the awfully looking Cool Docks next door).   The Danish-modern interiors is effortless and calming.

Shanghai is rife with awful signage and store fronts, so it was really nice to see this simple Waterhouse hotel sign that conveys the style of the hotel and its industrial past.  I come across so many shop signs around Shanghai and Beijing that have absolutely nothing to do with what’s going on inside its walls, so it was really refreshing to see something minimalist and straight to the point.

I got as far as the first floor, and squeezed in a few shots before the hotel cops banned me from taking further photos.  From the photos posted on the hotel’s website, it looks like a gorgeous place to rest your head as well as a place for dining and drinking.  The hotel was an Honorable Mention in Travel & Leisure’s Design Awards 2011 and is on Conde Naste Traveller’s Hot List 2011.  If you’re in the area, it’s definitely worth a visit.

I’m headed to Shanghai tomorrow to participate in the annual Eco Design Fair, taking place on Saturday, Apr 16 at The Waterhouse Hotel in the South Bund.    I’ve been away from the city for 2 years and didn’t know this property existed, and I’m really looking forward to seeing it.

The Eco Design Fair is an annual event that is a collection of local businesses creating, producing and selling things that are made responsibly with sustainable and eco-friendly materials.  I’ll be there selling my paper wares at the NEST table.  Come by and say hello!