I, like you, dear reader, had no idea that the south wing of the famed Peace Hotel is now under the care of Swatch Group, the Swiss maker of the plastic watches par excellence (but don't get fooled, they also own more traditional - i.e. prestigious - brands like Breguet, Blancpain and Omega between others). Restoration seems completed and, as far as I can see, seems as very tastefully done.

 

To make a long story short, Swatch wanted to mix the concept of boutique hotel, making available just 7 rooms for paying guests, with retails space (the boutiques of the afore mentioned brands launch today) and, the cool part of the story, artist studios-cum-sleeping-quarters! There will be 18 of those spaces when the whole thing opens ("soon" - "before the Expo finishes?" - "Yes!") and you can apply for a residency on the Swatch Art Peace Hotel website. I wonder if they take photographers in, I sure am tempted to apply (a room with Bund view? twist my arm!)

 

Here's a better explanation of the project:

 

Invited artists will live and work in rooms on the second and third floors in studios made available to them at no cost. Eighteen modular apartment-workshops can accommodate between thirty and forty artists per year, giving them the unique opportunity to discover Shanghai, to establish contacts with each other and to work on parallel or joint projects of their choosing.

Eight apartment-workshops are designed so that artists have a working space at their disposal which is separate from their living quarters; ten incorporate the workshop into the living space. The type of activity and the wishes of the artists determine the type of housing to be awarded. Workshop space can also be shared.

The concept anticipates times of residence limited to six months; the rotation facilitates maximum interaction among the artists. For those who are interested, a specific studio will be used for the creation of special Swatch watches with the support of experts from the brand. Swatch will produce some of these watches. The first floor features an exhibition and art gallery area dedicated to exhibitions showcasing work by leading Chinese and international contemporary artists. The Swatch Art Peace Hotel invited artists will also have the opportunity to exhibit their art in this room.