Revolutionizing Hotel Design: The Light of Chao

Yenchin Wang's Award-Winning Boutique Hotel Design

Located in the bustling Sanlitun area, CHAO is a boutique-style hotel that stands out from the crowd. The design inspiration for the 180 rooms and five kinds of room types comes from the "Nest" of animals. The design uses a multi-level, diversified space strategy, through the use of different materials, colors, and elements to present the historical charm and vitality of times. The transformation of CHAO hotel has become the model of hotel renovation.

CHAO is not just a hotel, but a social, lifestyle experience and private customization platform. It provides for lifestyle connoisseurs a new way of life, and another "nest habitat" outside of their private lives. The high-quality light environment further develops the sense of magic and mystery, making it a unique place to stay.

The design process involved a variety of lighting types including recessed adjustable downlights, wall washer track lights, burial lights, track spotlights, surface-mounted floodlights, and more. The pixel-like fabric ceiling design has become the focus of spatial vision; through the linear backlight treatment, the entire ceiling floats up, forming a complete post-modernist painting.

CHAO's restaurant is designed to deliver more emotions, building an atmosphere, creating an exquisite feeling of openness, and makes full use of building space. The exposed ceiling on the first floor bar area is made of metal materials and decorated with candle-like luminaires, creating a strong modern industrial sense. For lighting, the use of track lights adds flexibility, while decorating ceilings and table surfaces. Large-scale illuminated ceiling on top of the bar table is designed to create a night of fantasy and intoxication.

The project is more like a new-type art show space that takes into account the fundamental functional requirements of a hotel. The lighting design also attempted to break the routine, trying to bring more visual beauty and flexible functions and seeking ultimate enjoyment for the eyes and experiencing on the premise of meeting basic lighting demands in the hotel.

The design was awarded the Golden A' Lighting Products and Fixtures Design Award in 2017, a prestigious accolade granted to marvelous, outstanding, and trendsetting creations that reflect the designer's prodigy and wisdom. They are venerated products and bright ideas that advance art, science, design, and technology, embodying extraordinary excellence and significantly impacting the world with their desirable characteristics.