Cheng Chung Design reimagines suites at St Regis on the Bund - Sleeper

7 August 2026•[Projects](https://www.sleepermagazine.com/category/stories/projects/ "View all posts in Projects")

St Regis on the Bund, Shanghai has unveiled newly renovated luxury suites, envisioned by Cheng Chung Design.

Reinterpreting Shanghai’s distinctive Deco heritage, the project explores how the city’s unique blend of Eastern and Western influences can evolve through a contemporary design lens.

Replacing interiors that once celebrated Art Deco through overt ornamentation, the design reframes Shanghai Deco as a living language rather than a historical style. Instead of recreating the decorative richness of the past, the suites distil its essence into an atmosphere of understated luxury. Heritage is no longer expressed through embellishment, but through proportion, materiality and the quiet precision of artisanal making. The result is a residence that feels less like a hotel suite and more like a contemporary mansion that has gracefully evolved over generations.

Inspired by the refined lifestyle of the St Regis House, the arrival experience unfolds as though entering a distinguished private residence. Decorative shelving displays carefully curated objects rather than simply filling walls. A discreet cloak cabinet welcomes guests with the familiarity of home, while generous dressing rooms restore the forgotten luxury of preparing for an evening as a deliberate ritual rather than a necessity. Bespoke cabinetry throughout is designed with architectural permanence, transforming functional joinery into part of the interior’s character.


This residential narrative continues in the bathing spaces, where hospitality gives way to ritual. Beside the freestanding bath, an elegantly crafted amenity cabinet and bespoke towel shelving become extensions of the architecture itself – objects one might discover within a Parisian apartment or an old Shanghai mansion. Every element is composed with intention, elevating the smallest daily routines into moments of quiet indulgence.

Throughout the suites, craftsmanship becomes the principal ornament. Traditional Chinese lacquer artistry finds new expression in the bespoke Cabinet of Curiosity Maxi Bar, whose handcrafted eggshell inlay pays homage to centuries-old techniques while embracing contemporary precision. Concealed drawers, layered compartments and unexpected reveals invite moments of exploration – a subtle reflection of Shanghai’s celebrated wit, where sophistication is often accompanied by an element of surprise.

The cabinet’s hand-painted Yulan magnolia blossoms quietly anchor the narrative to Shanghai itself. As the city’s official flower, the magnolia has long symbolised resilience, grace and intellectual ambition, becoming an elegant metaphor for a city that continually reinvents itself while remaining deeply rooted in its cultural identity.


Elsewhere, traditional materials are interpreted through contemporary craftsmanship. Liquid metal finishes replace conventional bronze detailing with a softer, almost tactile luminosity, while finely crafted timber introduces warmth and intimacy to the architecture. Modern fabrication techniques allow artisans to manipulate familiar materials with extraordinary precision, demonstrating that innovation need not replace craft—it can become its newest expression.

Nowhere is this dialogue more evident than within the bathroom. Conceived as a contemporary interpretation of Parisian refinement, the space balances classical elegance with modern restraint. Expansive marble walls become canvases for craftsmanship, where advanced carving techniques and precision stone fabrication create subtle reliefs that reveal the artisan’s hand without overwhelming the architecture. The stone appears almost tailored rather than assembled, celebrating material authenticity while embracing the possibilities of contemporary technology.

Natural daylight becomes an equally important material. Carefully aligned openings allow light to extend beyond the bedroom and into the bathing space, dissolving traditional boundaries between rooms. As daylight shifts throughout the day, marble surfaces, timber textures and handcrafted details acquire an ever-changing softness, recalling the atmospheric interiors of Shanghai’s historic residences where architecture was animated not only by structure, but by light itself.

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