This new urban resort that will comprise the luxury hotel, residences, and retail space, and its fifty-five shikumen villas will be also accompanied by the Auriga Spa, a library, as well as a French brasserie and event venues.
Guests will be immersed in Shanghai’s glamorous 30’s era with elaborately carved matou gable walls which are distinctive to Shanghai’s shikumen architecture, a connected series of narrow alleyways, inner courtyards and embellished stone arches over the gates and doorways in Capella Shanghai, Jian Ye Li. Centrally located within the cultural preservation zone of Xuhui District, the Jian Ye Li estate was originally built by French real estate company Foncière et Immobilière de Chine in the 1930s to house the upper-class. Comprising 22 rows of shikumen lanes connecting more than 200 two-storey houses, the estate later became a residential district for the locals.
Sensitively restored for discerning modern travelers, the striking shikumen buildings marry traditional Shanghainese and French architectural styles, featuring Chinese courtyard houses decorated with tasteful Parisian flair.
The resort lanes feature distinctive Western and Chinese design elements that define the shikumen architectural style. Chinese matou, or ‘horse head’ gables adorn these three-story brick and stone-accented townhouses while the interiors were conceived by the renowned Jaya Ibrahim. The bespoke interior design is a careful blend of classic Chinese elements and 19th-century French flair: imagine spaces where customized Frenchaccented furniture is placed alongside Chinese-inspired artwork and accessories to portray a cohesive intermingling of East-West elements, yet maintaining the shikumen’s original layout.
The Jian Ye Li estate features a notable landmark – the Water Tower, which was originally used as a water source, and now functions as a light tower.
By incorporating classic French elements into the traditional local housing for a natural, soothing effect, Capella Shanghai’s villas offer modern conveniences set in the 1930s structure; thoughtfully curated spaces complemented by state-of-the-art technology for an unparalleled experience. Offering one to three-bedrooms, each room is connected to an ensuite marble-clad bathroom with separate bathtub and rain shower facilities as well as premium toiletries.
