Named after a Chinese character that references elegance and style, the YU Bar is one of the latest additions to Shanghai’s bar scene. Located on the top two floors of the recently opened Shanghai Marriott Hotel Luwan, the rooftop bar boasts panoramic views of the Lupu Bridge arching over the Huangpu River, and the ships passing below.

The Shanghai-based Kokaistudios, which oversaw the bar’s architectural and interior design, utilized the interplay between furniture, fittings, and lighting to create a refined venue with distinct spaces and moods.

Stepping out of the elevator on the hotel’s 28th floor, guests find themselves in an elegant corridor flanked by dark glass cabinets bathed in ambient lighting. The passage opens onto a U-shaped bar covered in thick steel cables. However, the venue’s focal point is the VIP area that features a sparkling, stainless steel globe, red-leather sofas, and floor-to-ceiling windows.

A steel staircase leads up to the second floor of the split-level venue, where a brightly lit orange room stands in stark contrast to the dark drama of the bar’s first floor. Housing white plush sofas and a second bar within a glass pavilion, the area opens onto a brightly lit terrace where, weather permitting, guests can enjoy the breeze while sipping one of the bar’s signature cocktail.