On the upper levels Phillips’ intuition becomes the key with which Foster + Partners redesigns a dynamic but well-balanced plan: the rotation of the windows provides the compositional principle of each level, revealing its functional efficacy for the planimetric organization of the 336 rooms.
Shifted by 45 degrees with respect to the facade plane, various types of rooms and suites gain different spaces and unexpected depths from this arrangement. The openings, which to the north face the headquarters of HSBC designed by Foster in 1986, frame composite sequences of urban congestion, exciting vistas that form a contrast with the sober refinement of the furnishings and finishes.
The palette of colors in the bedrooms, living and dining areas and office corners features neutral, powdery tones, with textile accents of acid hues. The diffused light, the materials – Italian herringbone parquet, wallcoverings, leather paneling, large carpets – are all orchestrated in warm matte shadings. The bathrooms get their own distinct area in the room layout, where restraint again gives way to the glowing allure of the marble and the faucets.