At the beginning of this month, in an extraordinary installation of light and art, Le Royal Méridien Shanghai officially opened with a First NightSM celebration entitled “The Sky is the Limit”. The internationally acclaimed artist Thierry Dreyfus re-imagined the Shanghai cityscape, unveiling a permanent and contemporary light installation that will enrich the electric Shanghai skyline. Five powerful “light cannons” beamed red light vertically into the sky and gently pulsed, creating a beating effect that will establish Le Royal Méridien Shanghai as the “heart of Shanghai”. Inside the hotel at 789 Nanjing Lu Bar, located on the top 64th, 65th and 66th floors of the hotel, guests will literally see Shanghai in a new light through a unique one-of-a-kind art installation of multi-coloured filters on the expansive windows, providing a new perspective onto the city of Shanghai.
Le Méridien brand’s First Night celebration is the brand’s signature artistic experience designed for new hotel openings worldwide and is illustrative of the new direction of Le Méridien since it was acquired by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc on 1 November 2005. Focused on transforming Le Méridien into a leading edge lifestyle brand that the “creative guest” is drawn to, Le Méridien has launched a number of non-traditional cultural initiatives. Le Méridien is forming partnerships with contemporary art institutions around the globe and recently appointed Jérôme Sans, a Paris-based arts provocateur, as the brand’s cultural curator, who is responsible for creating relationships with artists, museums and galleries worldwide, designed to truly elevate the guest experience.
Le Méridien, with the guidance of Jerome Sans, identified acclaimed lighting artist Thierry Dreyfus to design artistic light installations for all three introductory First Night events in 2006 and 2007. Beginning with First Night San Francisco on 1 November 2006, Le Méridien San Francisco was transformed into a work of art through Thierry’s colourful reinterpretation of the building’s exterior into Mondrian-like light installation. The 24-storey building became an ever-changing piece of contemporary art designed so that each guest interacts with the experience. First Night San Francisco will remain until 31 January 2007 and First Night Croatia will be unveiled in April 2007.
“We are proud to engage artists of this calibre to strengthen Le Méridien. Through their contributions, we will stimulate our guests’ passion for art and culture by providing artistic experiences that inspire and stimulate them. To do so in the most forward-looking and modern city of Shanghai makes this event even more unique,” said Eva Ziegler, senior vice-president, Le Méridien Brand.
As part of its ongoing pursuit to bring art and culture alive in a new light for guests and host cities alike, Le Méridien has formed an alliance with The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in Shanghai. The partnership will offer Le Méridien guests special access to MOCA as part of their stay on presentation of their room key. The room key itself has become a piece of art as it has been designed by the renowned Franco-Chinese artist Yan Pei-Ming whose paintings are a bridge between East and West. The latest triumph from this talented painter was an immense portrait of French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, exhibited last spring at the Grand Palais in Paris.
Located in the heart of the city as the tallest building in Shanghai Puxi, Le Royal Méridien Shanghai stands between the historic Nanjing Road East and the greenery of People’s Square. Dominating the skyline with 66 floors, it offers unparalled views over the Shanghai Museum, Grand Theatre and Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in the Puxi district and Pudong with the Huangpu River and the Bund. Le Royal Méridien Shanghai boasts 770 luxurious rooms and suites with floor-to-ceiling glass windows and an ultra modern design. The services include: 10 restaurants and bars, 2,000 square metres of meeting space, two grand ballrooms, a spa, sauna and gym plus an indoor swimming pool with jacuzzi, sauna and steam bath. Le Royal Méridien Shanghai raises the standard of five-star hotels in China’s most stylish city.