Wu Bin is the founder of W.Design China. He approaches the design across typologies with a blend of traditional Eastern aesthetics with Western modernist techniques. In this interview with FRAME, he discusses his ‘modern oriental’ design approach, hyperlocal hospitality and the importance spatial experience plays in creating lasting memories.

You describe your approach as ‘modern oriental’. What does this look like in practice?

WU BIN: The ‘modern oriental’ concept is rooted in traditional Eastern interpretations of nature, the senses and artistic expression, and evolves with contemporary needs. This approach is applied consistently across diverse projects, adapting solutions to the unique characteristics and client requirements of each. It uses Eastern aesthetics to craft spaces with artistic depth, reflecting on the relationship between people and nature. By integrating elements from Chinese painting like scattered perspective and temporality, it enhances peoples’ perception of spatial changes, leading to richer visual experiences and sensory memories.

Wu Bin.

Our recent project, the Woh Hotel Anji exemplifies our design philosophy. We introduced the concept of a 'travelogue on mountains' creating spaces that foster a dialogue between human beings and the natural surroundings. Using a long black steel plate as a lead-in to the entrance, we crafted a hybrid courtyard-veranda space, blurring indoor and outdoor boundaries.

Cover and above: Drawing on the design vernacular of Jiangnan Villages in the region south of the Yangtze River, the Woh Hotel Anji blurs the boundaries between indoor and outdoor spaces.

This union of people, architecture and environment embodies Eastern understanding. On the top floor, originally an indoor space, we introduced numerous vertical and horizontal openings to allow free airflow. Through this reorganization, the space visually evokes the ambience of a Jiangnan Village, a typical village in the region south of the Yangtze River. We aim for modernity while preserving the essence of the old times.

What role does the integration of local cultural elements play in your work?

Excellent Chinese design is inherently rooted in local culture, and there is an increasing demand for Eastern aesthetic design. Drawing inspiration from traditional Chinese culture, I endeavour to create a better and more meaningful lifestyle for spatial users. Traditional Chinese architecture is founded on a deep connection with nature, where our activities coexist harmoniously with the natural world. The 'modern oriental' design language is centred on Eastern aesthetics and aims to create spaces imbued with artistic conception. It reflects the relationship between humanity and nature and responds to the future while honouring tradition.

There is a trend towards hyperlocal hospitality or hospitality spaces that lean into their locality in the entire sense of the word. Do you see this playing out in the Chinese hospitality realm?

I believe this is a significant trend. In the future, the Chinese hotel industry will place greater emphasis on local and regional cultural expressions. Especially for resort hotels, this is an essential experience. People in China today face the challenge of finding their cultural identity in an age of information overload. Therefore, continued research into Eastern aesthetics plays a key role in tracing and understanding our cultural origins.

W.Design’s approach to the nearly complete Meili Bodu Hotel, situated at an altitude of 3,600-m on the Meili Snow Mountain viewing platform, leans into its unique surroundings providing guests with a hyperlocal experience.

Our Meili Bodu Hotel project is nearing completion and embodies the hyperlocal hospitality trend. Located at an altitude of 3,600-m on the Meili Snow Mountain viewing platform, the hotel is a mountainside structure. Much like Shanshui paintings portraying landscapes beyond reach, the sensation of viewing the Meili Snow Mountain shares this sentiment. This intuitive feeling inspired us to convey a clear spiritual concept in this project, and to design it as ‘my home in the snowy mountains’. We've curated the entire hotel to lean into its unique surroundings, offering a distinct experience to the guests.

Another trend that is dominating the hospitality world is experience. A transactional encounter is no longer enough to compete in a highly saturated market. How does the theme of experience impact your work?

Good spatial design should encompass a comprehensive and holistic design experience across all dimensions and domains. Design isn't just about space. It's about creating a more meaningful way of life. A skilled designer should explore various fields and interconnect them to create a complete and unified experience.

To create an emotional and highly sensorial experience to complement the Hai Shang restaurant's gastronomy, W.Design used dark wooden walls and dramatic yet subtle lighting.

For example, in the context of dining experiences, besides the culinary aspect being paramount, I find myself naturally drawn to elements like spatial volume, music, scent and temperature. It encompasses what I refer to as a ‘multidimensional design concept’. With our design of the fine dining restaurant Hai Shang, we achieved this by integrating dark wooden walls and subtle lighting, heightening guests’ sensory memories of the space. With equal importance placed on architectural materiality and the exploration of ingredient flavours, there's a harmonious synergy between the ingredients and the setting. Each dish is presented rhythmically, engaging every guest as part of the spatial ambience and immersing them in the multidimensional 'modern oriental' experience. 

Just like experience has become crucial to hospitality spaces, so has wellbeing. How can such environments enable wellbeing for their users?

At the core of life lies the pursuit of happiness, a quest deeply influenced by cultural roots, personal identity and a sense of security. The multidimensional experiential design I advocate in my designs also encompasses the promotion of wellbeing by considering core needs, evident in the design of WS Space for dining and WS Gallery for art in downtown Shanghai. Art transcends mere exhibitions; it inspires modern living. I aspire for these spaces to not only serve functional purposes but also embody a poetic essence that equally addresses functional and altruistic needs, such as the aforementioned. Following this approach in the complementary cultural and hospitality spaces, we foster diverse possibilities and create beautiful moments, igniting a sense of happiness within people's hearts.