Situated just a two-hour car ride away from the hustle and bustle of Shanghai, the city of Hangzhou has successfully carved a niche for itself. The affluence has not only facilitated a high-standard lifestyle, but also spawned a growing number of venues where especially the well-heeled let their hair down. WAY2 is one of such places which has popped up in the leafy suburban Changhe neighbourhood. Concepted as an exclusive whiskey bar, it’s situated at Jiangnan Art Park, a large mixed-use complex situated a stone’s throw away from Qiantang river. The entrance makes a futuristic architectural statement that hints what local architecture practice PIG Design has created beyond, featuring an entrance door embedded in a seemingly layered protrusion crafted from aluminium. The path leading to the door is rigorously landscaped with black gravel and four round mirrors. Alongside, two stacked containers wrapped in tarp and with a brass spire atop serve as a diorama of sorts, allowing peaks of a whiskey installation through an opening.
When stepping inside WAY2, a serene hallway unfolds. It’s an uncluttered lofty space that’s framed by plastered walls and us furnished with merely three robust brass candle sticks. Lighting plays a pivotal role here, providing intriguing detailing by way of backlit elements, and once again referencing whisky, a cut-out with yet another range of prized whiskey bottles. At the far end, captured by a raw concrete volume, four bathrooms can be found. Behind a electric sliding door the bar and lounge can be found. It’s a voluminous space whose aesthetic includes shapes and forms that tie in with decorative elements in the preceding areas. An elongated bar, replete with three-tiered shelving laden with bottles, lines one side of the room, and is framed by light strip that aligns well with the rows of LED lighting attached to the ceiling. Furnishings comprise of modern leather chairs and round tables in the middle, and sofas and rectangular tables for large groups alongside the window. The lounge area is flanked by a striking, large-sized glass wall light on one side, and a stage with blue curtains on the other.
WAY2
Jiangnan Art Park, 415 Chengye Lu (Changhe)
310052 Hangzhou
Publishers Note
Just to be clear – superfuture® is a design blog and not a political commentator. No surprise there. The scope of our content has always been global and borderless, however that can often mean covering projects in countries where we will not agree with the politics or actions of those countries. In a world that’s as screwed up as ever right now, the focus of our support is to those designers, architects and other creatives who aim to make the world a more liveable one – as opposed to people that try their hardest to destroy it. So if a project hits our desk and we like it based on its design credentials, we may choose to publish regardless of its location or creators nationality. superfuture® has always been inclusive and hopes for all current wars, aggression, violence, hate and extremism to end.
