Cheng and the design staff distilled the exterior-interior link down to three main ideas: a color palette taken directly from the light effects on the architecture; an accent on pure shapes, and a Post Modern attitude. That seamless union was particularly important for the tallest hotel in the St. Regis collection because this 257 room/40-suite property occupies the top 23 floors of Shenzhen's highest skyscraper. Minimizing the disconnect between what guests saw outside and their first glimpse of this luxury enclave high above the city was crucial to providing an uninterrupted VIP experience. The designers opted to borrow their basic materials list from the bones of the building. As the elevator doors open on the 96th floor, guests step out into a soaring lobby that features the same glass and steel elements that add drama to the architecture. But, here, they are brought down to a more personal scale. Gleaming horizontal, interior metal beams bisect the exterior girders to organize 2 2 A forest of shimmering columns provides a canopy of focal points that effectively lowers the soaring atrium. 3 All the sparkle of the ground floor entrance repeats in this lobby chandelier, which glows like a cloud washed in sunlight. 3 100 boutiquedesign.com NOVEMBER 2013http://www.boutiquedesign.com