Library at Mercer Hotel, Sheung Wan, HK | 2022
In-between Architects was commissioned to rebrand Mercer Hotel in Hong Kong. The idea was inspired by the Avant Garde art scene of New York City SoHo district between 1960s and 90s, when artists such as Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Philip Glass and Yayoi Kusama lived there. Architect Christian Liaigre converted an artist studios into the first Mercer Hotel in Soho with ‘home away from home’ approach in 1997.
Designer took this story to local context by collaborating with local artists and showcase their works inside Mercer guest rooms and public corridors, giving customers new experience everything they return.
The challenge is to turn the original compact one-bedroom suite into a cosy and flexible space. The use of sliding panels within the hotel suite allows flexibility of opening up totally the one bedroom into a loft style unit. These features provide guests the choice to personalise their space and to achieve the sense of comfort which is different to all individuals, reassuring the belief of comfort as new luxury and in line with the ‘home away from home’ concept.
A new library is located at second level that also functions as a business lounge. Designer intended to treat this space as an extension of guest rooms where guests could get some work done in the early morning, read a random book from the curator bookshelves in the afternoon and enjoy some cocktails with other guests in the evening.
