Chamber28 Hotel, China

Every time Studio8 encounter spaces, they always leave with a first impression in our minds. One of the things that are often communicated with them is the temperature of the space. It is not the actual room temperature, but rather the feeling and atmosphere that engaged their senses in various ways. Warm and cozy spaces invite us to slow down, while they avoid staying long in colder spaces. Consequently, temperature is one of the key features influencing their experience of spatial design.

The request for Chamber28 was straightforward – a new, one of a kind all-day entertainment venue in Beijing’s SanLiTun. As per the client’s wish, all the rooms should vary among each other and yet should belong to a single theme. In addition, each room should function as a business meeting venue, provide a fine dining experience and furthermore offer a private entertainment experience.

Studio8 took “temperature” as a guiding concept, allowing all the rooms to be divided into particular Celsius degrees. To strengthen the uniqueness of the space, the rooms were split into groups, to which a couple of selected natural phenomena were assigned, corresponding to the temperature of their occurrence. As a result, the wide range of temperatures, from cold to extremely hot, offers a variety of experiences, represented through peculiar materials and lighting effects.

Starting from the coldest experience of the Aurora Borealis, the northern lights are depicted by harder materials such as translucent marble and metal surfaces with matte brushed finishing, creating a blurred light reflection. Rain forest Eucalyptus – the boldest among all rooms, immerses the individual in a mixture of colors, but at the same time preserves the sense of nature. With the rising temperature, one reaches the phenomena of Fumarole and Blue Flames. Both of them, although bound to the earth, show quite different characteristics. While Fumarole stresses the texture and the tactility of its characteristic materials, Blue Flames stays humble, yet manifests warm solitude. Its origin leads back to a chemical reaction happening on a molecular level and resulting in energetic blue lava. The process of this conversation was celebrated through the transformation of digital blue bubbles into analogue blue balls, spread across the space. Blue Flames fills the second-floor bar as well as the public areas, where guests transition from the first to the second level over an emblematic staircase, extending into infinity through a mirrored reflection. The top end of the temperature scale is set by one of the hottest among all natural phenomena – Magma. Despite the use of lava stone and red marble, the spatial feeling supplies warmth and coziness, contrasting with the heaviness and sweltering character of Magma.

Additionally, the experience of each room is enhanced by custom-made lighting and abstract animated visuals curated by Studio8, so that all motion, geometry and color is aligned with the materials palette and the natural phenomenon they represent. For example, in Magma most of lighting is concentrated at the bottom of the room, reminiscent of smoldering lava and further supported by stage smoke machines. Eucalyptus impresses with its grid of laser light, giving the spatial feeling of being among the trees of a rain forest. Aurora Borealis and Blue Flames relies on laser machines, depicting various patterns, where the former creates a radiating effect on the ceiling, while the latter is projecting towards the floor, glaring burning blue patterns. Fumarole uses down lights to fill the whole space with a warm yellow and smoky ambience.

Further, the mood and peculiarities of each individual theme culminates into a totem-like piece of furniture, namely a bench, designed by Studio8’s own furniture brand CaoZiTou. Despite the harmonious and balanced shape of the bench, when crossed with the material palette of the rooms it becomes a playful and iconic element spreading across the public area.

Chamber28 is a place that is both universal and unique at the same time. It offers a rich variety of usage and services, yet its atmosphere and vibe leave the visitor with a memorable experience.