Beijing Conrad Hotel

This five-star hotel stands on a busy corner of the ring road in the central business district. Its fishnet facade, a web of organic openings across a white surface, sets it apart from the ordinary buildings around it.

The design team describes it as a living architecture that grows within the rectilinear city like a plant rising through a crack in a pavement. Inside, lighting brings out an eastern sensibility in every detail, from ink painting screens in the main lobby to the textured walls of the restaurants.