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Shanghai has a new elegant and powerful hotel: The Middle House! This is a gleaming tower in Dazhongli that features unique characteristics. The design of its amazing 111 rooms was in the hands of Piero Lissoni, the famous Italian architect that makes us expect only the best!

In this case, expect monochromatic, zen elegance and lots of space (including plenty of terraces). Past meets present in the sophisticated lobby area, dramatized with walls of green bamboo ceramic tile laid vertically to emphasize the double-height space, while an oversized Venetian chandelier suspended above a central round table.

Behind the entry, the ceiling drops to a more intimate, single-story height, with a sense of home reinforced through a fireplace, contemporary wing chairs, Chinese benches, bone-colored upholstery, and silk area rugs—all a soft and welcome divergence from the dark wood bookshelves, consoles, and side tables that populate the space.

Lissoni’s masculine aesthetic carries into all-day dining restaurant Café Gray Deluxe with its lofty height enhanced with walls devoted to bookcases, displays of wine and spirits, and a contemporary art program. Meanwhile, Italian restaurant Frasca’s sleek black accents pop against translucent glass panels and a neutral scheme of taupe and gray.

Residences and the 111 guestrooms are separated into two towers, with the rooms chicly designed in understated monochromatic tones, purposely chosen to emphasize natural materials like dark hardwood floors. Open wardrobes in dressing areas give rooms an airy feel, while some rooms boast bronze mesh screens, highlighting a contemporary-meets-traditional aesthetic notable in artwork and carpets that “are all handmade by cutting and reassembling antique Middle Eastern carpets,” reveals Lissoni.

In contrast, the sprawling curvilinear Mi Xun Spa and wellness area “creates large perspectives on iconic architectural elements such as backlit volumes, water features, and an internal garden,” he says. Here, industrial materials mingle with local ceramics for the sequence of vertical louvers, adding a decidedly authentic touch to the otherwise minimalist space.

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