Tucho Iglesias, the founder of CHAI Living – a serviced apartment.
His creative ideas as to the renovation can penetrate through each procedure due to his Spanish passion and energy, and these crazy ideas never stop. In addition, the interests in vintage furniture and robes enable him to reach each aspect from structure design to ornaments selection independently. In the design gallery of CHAI Living, you can see an array of dazzling stuff collected by Tucho, with an interesting mix and contrast, a unique ambience is naturally created.
In the past 7 years, Tucho has renovated 20 residences located within the Embankment Building, and the area ranges from 45 square meter to 200 square meter, which precisely pictures a distinguished serviced apartment – CHAI Living. In 2014, a new project is going to be under construction. Let’s call it” The Supreme”.
Tips –The renovation of heritage building.
1. The most important respects to be paid attention to are: electric pressure, water pressure and epidemic prevention. For electricity and water, entirely redesigning is advisable, and might as well select the best quality and brand so as to lessen the unnecessary and cost-consuming maintenance afterwards.
2. The great urban view might be affected by those typically vintage black windows of the time-honored building. Double glazing embedded within a large wooden structure could be a solution, which also promotes the efficiency of heating.
Renovation cost: 10,000 RMB / square meter.
Designing cost: 1,200 RMB / square meter.
In 2006, Tucho left the international marketing department in Royal Madrid, moved to the Spanish pavilion of Shanghai EXPO, and settled down here. After inspecting approximately 200 different rooms, he eventually found his “Dream House” – the Embankment Building, located beside the well-known Suzhou River and built by Victor Sassoon in 1935, which is time honored, authentic, convenient commuting and with breath taking view. Previously, it was more like a shelter for lots of Jewish.
In the past 7 years, Tucho has renovated 20 residences located within the Embankment Building, and the area ranges from 45 square meter to 200 square meter which precisely pictures adistinguished serviced apartment – CHAI Living. It is absolutely fascinating to view this picture: you are staying at a super chic serviced apartment, at the same time some senior citizens are just sitting on the bamboo chairs enjoying their extremely leisure time. Tucho said, “I am indeed crazy about the striking and strong contrast, thus how to cope with those vintage handles, cement pillar, mosaic floor as well as the Art Deco decoration, etc. Since I decided to have them preserved, why not emphasize those elements the other way around? Such as make an interesting contrast and contradiction between silk and cement, the contemporary and the vintage, as well as the western and the oriental.
Each residence has its own name and theme. Fortunately, it is Tucho, the same person that came up with and resolved this tough mission. The inspiration stems from all the possible Chinese elements, penetrating from jade, ink, silk, porcelain, cocoon, bamboo, then gradually to some abstract theme – Gobi dessert, paradise and fairyland etc. As soon as he captures any ideas, he will note everything down, collecting them in his “treasure box” which is brimming with imaginative ideas. His residence — Cocoon is designed predominantly white; all the mirrors and other small decorations almost are in the oval shape exactly echoing cocoon. A piece of glass was embedded in the wall behind the bed, which was filled with cocoons in a shape of Chinese ancient robe. Another wall is wrapped by 2 pieces of maps of the Silk Road.
“I never stop challenging myself”. His new project will be under construction in February 2014, let’s call it “The Supreme”. “I hope everything could reach the best, no matter in terms of creativity, quality, hi-tech, space usage, function, cost, and concept of being eco-friendly, etc. All in all, I will bring the best out of myself making every single effort to make it supreme.” It is said this new project can be used as residential, event and party with a series of hi-tech characters.