JPA Design creates new lounges for Air China in Beijing and Shanghai

Both lounges have been designed to meet the growing needs and expectations of domestic and international business travellers.

The Shanghai space at Pudong Airport covers two floors measuring 2,475m2 for business class passengers and 670m2 for first class passengers.

London and Singapore-based JPA – which has worked on other lounge projects for Air China – says it was commissioned to design this pair of lounges as China entered an unprecedented period of growth for new airports across the country.

Air China’s corporate blue colour has been subtly integrated across both lounges, which balance a Chinese and a global design aesthetic, according to JPA.

The spaces integrate ‘luxurious seating’ and dining areas, with buffets, bars and business centres.

The First Class lounge in Shanghai and the Air China Lounge in Beijing feature articulated curving timber screens which JPA says separate the dining and back-lit bar areas from the quieter, more relaxed lounge areas to create a sense of privacy and exclusivity.

Alex Duncan, director at JPA Design, says, ‘The trend now is to create an oasis for the busy traveller, one that offers a real sense of comfort and luxury with all the facilities you would now expect and in an environment that acts as a refuge from the stresses of the airport.  The lounge forms a crucial part of the total travel experience.’