a golden vault-like turntable decorates ‘the exchange bar’ in shanghai, china

in the scenic spot of shanghai, china, nong studio has transformed ‘the blackstone apartment’, also known as the most luxurious apartment complex in shanghai, to a speakeasy bar called ‘the blackstone exchange’. the bar takes its design language from the traces of shanghai in the 1930s with an integration of the western culture while stubbornly maintaining national traditions.

symmetrical main space 
images courtesy of nong studio

nong studio wanted the design to mark the modern architectural classics of shanghai with an eclectic style. the access to the bar is from the side of the building through a long walkway paved with mosaic tiles, fading away from the hustle of the flashy city. the architects step up a mechanism hidden behind an old newspaper that opens the main door of the space after a key is tapped.

the name blackstone exchange is derived from the stock exchange. this is because the bar owner is from wall street, and also coincides with the era background of blackstone apartments

after entering the bar, guests are enlightened by the fully symmetrical open space. the top arc shape coincides with the building’s iconic curved balcony that can be seen on the façade of the complex. various baroque stigmas decorate the wall behind the wooden bar where the mottled red bricks create a sense of chaos in time and space.

the main element that dominates the whole space is the golden turntable that resembles a bank vault, and where the word ‘exchange’ came from. it serves as a display for solely bottles of whiskey and can be seen from two sides of the bar. the first one is from the main space, whereas the second side is from the inside of the bathroom. the see-through materials of this turntable make each corner of the hall visible from it

the visual center of the entire space is the golden turntable. the shape coincides with the turntable of the bank vault

behind the bar lies two boxes that are extracted from banks, one is from the western vault and the other is from the chinese account room. stainless steel compartments of this vault act as storage spaces for the wines from clients. abacuses decorate the wall of the account room forming an interesting play of light and shadow and adding an atmosphere of mystery to the space. the name ‘exchange’ can be felt everywhere throughout the space, be it from the old newspaper at the entrance or the dining tables that are covered with coins or the unmissable vault at the center of the space.

the wall behind the wooden bar is decorated with various baroque stigmas. under the background of the mottled red bricks, a sense of chaos in time and space is created

the countertops of all the wine tables in the bar are decorated with old coins, just like a chessboard

the golden turntable has double-sided sights

the western-style box derived from the vault with a wall decorated with antique bonds

the mechanism at the entrance of the bar is hidden behind an old new york times newspaper

the golden turntable is seen from the streets in the center of the space through the windows

the aisle becomes a long corridor of the vault. stainless steel compartments of the vault store the wines from patrons

the abacus beads that decorate the chinese-style box form the cloudiness through the light and shadow area.

the golden turntable derived from the bank vault door. it has a soft strip of light on the outer ring and an LED light on the inner ring to brighten the bottle from the bottom

project info:

name: the exchange bar,shanghai blackstone apartment

architect: chasing wang or nong studio

location: shanghai, china

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