The Middle House

If you’ve been to the Opposite House in Beijing, the Upper House in Hong Kong, or the Temple House in Chengdu, then all you need to know is that Shanghai’s Middle House is the fourth member of the same House Collective. For the rest of us — or, to pass the time before your flight to Shanghai boards — we’ll elaborate. The Middle House’s interiors are by no less a light than Piero Lissoni, the Milanese architect and designer whose furniture adorns a substantial proportion of our favorite hotels in Italy and beyond. And here, his focused, near-monochrome modernist style is applied to Shanghai’s own distinctive visual language, to astonishing effect.

The stage is set by the lobby, a towering, theatrical space in jade green, dominated by an ornate chandelier, while the rooms dial down the drama in favor of a tranquil, almost meditative calm. Rooms range from 50 to 100 square meters, all of them with espresso machines, Bamford bath products, high-end sound systems and convenient charging hubs, in addition to down bedding and stylish Lissoni furniture. And, like the other House Collective hotels, the Middle House boasts an impressive collection of public spaces, including an outpost of Hong Kong’s popular Café Gray Deluxe, as well as Italian and Chinese venues. There’s a spa as well, complete with an indoor pool and a 24-hour gym; so while the Middle House may exist on a smaller scale than the big international luxury hotel brands, its product is top-of-the-line.