The Chinese city of Taicang is located on the southern Yangtze River. The international Maritim hotel chain is currently planning a flagship hotel in the popular metropolis to promote itself on the Asian market. Derived from the German roots of the hotel brand, the design idea is based on the motto: “Feel the breath of Northern Germany”. The interior design developed by brandherm + krumrey together with the Chinese partner office RhineScheme translates this underlying approach into an elegant spatial concept. Thanks to the good local conditions and the proximity to Shanghai, Taicang has evolved into a focal point for German-Chinese cooperation. Numerous renowned companies have set up branches here. The Maritim hotel complex is being built in a new quarter that is designed to exude German quality and atmosphere. In addition to the hotel with 150 rooms and suites and a separate conference centre, business space and shops are also planned. From the outside, the hotel already stands out with a design that, as a “guest house with marketplace”, is inspired by northern German old towns. A spacious lobby welcomes guests with maritime elegance. Here, classic forms and materials combine with a contemporary urban ambience. Details such as genuine Delft tiles or luminiares modelled on ship’s lamps underscore the echoes of northern Germany. The adjoining hotel area, which can be used as a restaurant, breakfast room or event bar, is also characterised by this design vocabulary. As in the lobby, navy blue wall surfaces, upholstered furniture and textiles add coloured highlights. The corridors to the hotel rooms, on the other hand, are modelled on the hallways of an art gallery. The flexible layouts of the hotel rooms generate modern cosiness. Open marble bathrooms emphasise the bright and generous furnishings. Muted colours, lights with a nautical feel and materials such as dark oak or brass also convey an air of northern German classicism. This extraordinary overall concept results in a modern hotel complex that combines European tradition with the urban lifestyle of China.