![]() They met in 2012 in San Francisco, when Wang was visiting from South Africa, and within a few months decided to desert their respective paths to buy an old house in Hudson, two hours north of New York City. Wang, who is an artist, and Roland, a hospitality entrepreneur, are unconventional partners, both in business and life. Inspired by a range of Asian bathing traditions, S H U I will incorporate bathhouse classics such as saltwater pools (entirely done in pink) and a steam room (spiced up with medicinal infusions), as well as more experimental features like herbal foam cleansing waterfalls and fiber-optic lighting. ![]() Together with members of the different communities, the couple is developing inclusive designs such as architectural elements that obscure or reveal the body at will, or special unisex swimwear commissioned from artists. Instead it’s intended as a “sensual, not sexual” queer utopia where intersectionality is fundamental to the design. As such, S H U I is positioned as neither a gay bathhouse nor a cis-het health club. Somewhere below Canal Street lies a 6,000-square-foot subterranean space that will soon be transformed into S H U I, Chinatown’s first “queer bathhouse and art spa.” The brainchild of Jon Wang and Sean Roland, S H U I is a futuristic vision of wellness, an immersive environment where guests can reconnect to their bodies through art, design, and ritual. Painting by Maryam Hoseini for S H U I and PIN–UP.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |