Shangri-La Group and Heatherwick Studio have joined forces in an exciting partnership to pioneer new design horizons and offer immersive cultural experiences. Commencing this January, the collaboration starts with the opening of the ‘Building Soulfulness’ exhibition in Shanghai, followed by further joint activities throughout 2024 and a traineeship programme dedicated to nurturing the next generation of design and architecture talent in China.
This partnership stems from a shared design philosophy between Shangri-La Group and Heatherwick Studio, centred around creating humanised spaces and experiences – environments where everyone can feel welcome and at ease. Heatherwick Studio brings global principles and perspectives to its designs while also being inspired by the local context. Shangri-La Group, as a provider of premium hospitality with roots in Asia, integrates its rich heritage into each of its hotel’s designs whilst celebrating the local culture of each location. Beyond physical design, the Group strives to extend its unique brand of Asian hospitality with personalised products, services and experiences, aiming to create lasting, memorable and colourful moments of joy for every guest.
In January, the acclaimed ‘Building Soulfulness’ exhibition by Heatherwick Studio, sponsored by Shangri-La Group, opens in Shanghai. Curated by the esteemed Mami Kataoka of the Mori Art Museum, the exhibition has already attracted over 100,000 visitors in Japan and South Korea, showcasing the studio’s seminal designs and enduring relationship with China. Opening to the public on 17th January, the exhibition is hosted by the Fosun Foundation at the Bund Finance Centre – a building designed by the Studio in collaboration with Foster + Partners.
To kick off a series of events alongside the exhibition, Hui Kuok and Thomas Heatherwick engaged in a fireside chat and one-on-one interviews on 16th January, guiding visitors through a creative exchange of ideas and demonstrating their shared beliefs in action.
Highlighting the importance of cultivating young talent, both the Group and Studio are proud to announce a joint traineeship programme. This initiative aims to uncover the next wave of local design and architecture talent, with plans to select students from Shanghai’s most prestigious universities in Q3 2024 for a two-year traineeship.
Shangri-La Group Chairman, Hui Kuok, said: “It brings me great joy to share the exciting news of Shangri-La Group’s partnership with Heatherwick Studio. The Studio’s philosophy of designing emotional objects resonates deeply with Shangri-La’s desire to host people to the colourful joys of life. With the ‘Building Soulfulness’ exhibition as a starting point, I look forward to working even more closely with my dear friend, Thomas Heatherwick, to realise our shared vision of bringing international world-class design to China as well as supporting the growth and development of young local design and architecture talent together.”
Thomas Heatherwick said: “I’m excited to be collaborating with Shangri-La group to bring the exhibition of my studio’s work to this city I love, where people are so engaged with art, design and culture. It was here at the World Expo in 2010 that our UK Pavilion Seed Cathedral welcomed over fifty thousand visitors each day, leading to many projects and friendships in China ever since. It’s also here that we opened our first studio outside of London. Being able to show ‘Building Soulfulness’, not just in Shanghai, but in one of the buildings we designed, feels like a natural next step in our relationship with this incredible city and the Shangri-La Group.”
Throughout 2024, this partnership is set to unfold with additional joint activities and initiatives, providing deeper insights into the collaboration between Shangri-La Group and Heatherwick Studio. The ‘Building Soulfulness’ exhibition in Shanghai runs from now until 14 March 2024.
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Shangri-La Group and Heatherwick Studio have joined forces in an exciting partnership to pioneer new design horizons and offer immersive cultural experiences. Commencing this January, the collaboration starts with the opening of the ‘Building Soulfulness’ exhibition in Shanghai, followed by further joint activities throughout 2024 and a traineeship programme dedicated to nurturing the next generation of design and architecture talent in China.
This partnership stems from a shared design philosophy between Shangri-La Group and Heatherwick Studio, centred around creating humanised spaces and experiences – environments where everyone can feel welcome and at ease. Heatherwick Studio brings global principles and perspectives to its designs while also being inspired by the local context. Shangri-La Group, as a provider of premium hospitality with roots in Asia, integrates its rich heritage into each of its hotel’s designs whilst celebrating the local culture of each location. Beyond physical design, the Group strives to extend its unique brand of Asian hospitality with personalised products, services and experiences, aiming to create lasting, memorable and colourful moments of joy for every guest.
In January, the acclaimed ‘Building Soulfulness’ exhibition by Heatherwick Studio, sponsored by Shangri-La Group, opens in Shanghai. Curated by the esteemed Mami Kataoka of the Mori Art Museum, the exhibition has already attracted over 100,000 visitors in Japan and South Korea, showcasing the studio’s seminal designs and enduring relationship with China. Opening to the public on 17th January, the exhibition is hosted by the Fosun Foundation at the Bund Finance Centre – a building designed by the Studio in collaboration with Foster + Partners.
To kick off a series of events alongside the exhibition, Hui Kuok and Thomas Heatherwick engaged in a fireside chat and one-on-one interviews on 16th January, guiding visitors through a creative exchange of ideas and demonstrating their shared beliefs in action.
Highlighting the importance of cultivating young talent, both the Group and Studio are proud to announce a joint traineeship programme. This initiative aims to uncover the next wave of local design and architecture talent, with plans to select students from Shanghai’s most prestigious universities in Q3 2024 for a two-year traineeship.
Shangri-La Group Chairman, Hui Kuok, said: “It brings me great joy to share the exciting news of Shangri-La Group’s partnership with Heatherwick Studio. The Studio’s philosophy of designing emotional objects resonates deeply with Shangri-La’s desire to host people to the colourful joys of life. With the ‘Building Soulfulness’ exhibition as a starting point, I look forward to working even more closely with my dear friend, Thomas Heatherwick, to realise our shared vision of bringing international world-class design to China as well as supporting the growth and development of young local design and architecture talent together.”
Thomas Heatherwick said: “I’m excited to be collaborating with Shangri-La group to bring the exhibition of my studio’s work to this city I love, where people are so engaged with art, design and culture. It was here at the World Expo in 2010 that our UK Pavilion Seed Cathedral welcomed over fifty thousand visitors each day, leading to many projects and friendships in China ever since. It’s also here that we opened our first studio outside of London. Being able to show ‘Building Soulfulness’, not just in Shanghai, but in one of the buildings we designed, feels like a natural next step in our relationship with this incredible city and the Shangri-La Group.”
Throughout 2024, this partnership is set to unfold with additional joint activities and initiatives, providing deeper insights into the collaboration between Shangri-La Group and Heatherwick Studio. The ‘Building Soulfulness’ exhibition in Shanghai runs from now until 14 March 2024.
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