Flower Power
Flower Power
By: Renée Morrison
Reflecting nature in a hypermodern structure is no easy task, but BraytonHughes Design Studios rose to the occasion with their concept for Fairmont Nanjing, which occupies the upper half of the Jinao Tower. As a tribute to the city’s numerous plum trees, whose delicate pink blooms inspire celebrations every spring, floral patterns were worked into decor details from wallpaper to carpet. To experience the hotel’s grandest design, ride the glass elevator up through the 27-story atrium, whose metal-plated walls are covered top-to-bottom in a motif of falling petals. The soaring interior, inspired by Constantin Brancusi’s modernist “Endless Column” sculpture and the form of a Chinese lantern, changes color throughout the day via a network of LED lights positioned discreetly behind the panels.