Design Details

LANDSCAPING & OUTDOOR SPACES

Sumei Skyline Coast Boutique Hotel

Arches appeared as early as the 2nd millennium BC with their primary function being to support the weight of the architecture above. Today, they serve that same purpose, but are also employed for aesthetic effect, creating visual illusions or serving to frame views of the surroundings.

Such was the case for Shenzen-based firm GS Design, whose striking façade at Sumei Skyline Coast Boutique Hotel on the shores of Hainan mimics the rise and fall of ocean waves, with consecutive arch-shaped windows offering vistas of the clear blue waters beyond.

Out on the pool deck, circles carved within square walls overlap to form a layered effect within a hot spring area, while geometric elements and semi-circles act as threedimensional installations. All-white rounded and parabolic arches also feature, drawing the eye and perfectly framing the ocean beyond. “Focusing on the relationship between building and materials as well as the interaction of form, light and shadow, our aim was to interpret the connection between human, space and nature,” say Yuanman Huang and Liangchao Li, Founding Partners and Design Directors at GS Design.

PUBLIC SPACES Taoxichuan Hotel

Designers often seek to tell a story through their schemes, and nowhere is this more visually clear than at Taoxichuan Hotel, situated in the Chinese city of Jingdezhen – also known as the porcelain capital.

Conceived by Shanghai-based studio Aim Architecture together with David Chipperfield Architects, the property pays homage to the region’s porcelain heritage by turning ceramics into architecture, interiors, furniture and patterns. The overarching design narrative follows the evolution of the ceramic material, from its origins in China to the influence it had around the world, before returning to its native home. As such, each of the hotel’s spaces are divided into themes exploring the versatility of porcelain within interior design, highlighting different colours and textures along the way.

On the ground floor, the Emerald Lounge – symbolising the creation stage – is characterised by green Celadon glazed tiles that line the walls and floors. This motif is extended into the adjoining public bathrooms, wherein the statement tiling is allowed to speak for itself with only spherical pendant lights as an accent.

“From translucent white to glazing greens and blues, from the Silk Road to the kilns, porcelain isn’t just a product; it’s an art form and a way of being,” explain Wendy Saunders and Vincent de Graaf, cofounders of Aim Architecture. “The hotel is a tribute to the technique and experience of porcelain in the heart of its birthplace. Here, ceramic is commemorated in a way it has never been, celebrating the honest material and exploring its versatility in interior design.”

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VISUAL IDENTITY

The Fife Arms

The Fife Arms is a place full of stories. Part archive, part museum, the hotel is the brainchild of Iwan and Manuela Wirth – co-founders of art gallery Hauser & Wirth – who, with a star cast of creatives, have transformed the Victorian coaching house into a boutique that weaves heritage, maximalism and contemporary art.

Tasked with developing its brand identity, London-based studio Here Design didn’t have to look far for inspiration, with the building’s storied past informing the visual narrative. “Our mantra is to design for the hands as well as the eyes,” says Creative Partner Mark Paton. “During the renovation, the team collected a series of artefacts from under the floorboards – everything from bullets to a time capsule dating back to 1907. These objects told its story.”

Given the depth of the property’s history, the firm settled not on one logotype, rather a selection of word marques that are dotted throughout. In addition, every piece of print is imbued with a unique character – giving them a collectable quality, much like the train tickets and hotel stationary travellers would have gathered during the Golden Age of travel in the 1800s.

The journey through time continues at Bertie’s Bar – winner of best Bar, Club or Lounge at AHEAD Europe 2021 – where the narrative takes cues from its namesake King Edward VII, or Bertie. Here, elements like a silhouette of the monarch’s head echo Victorian portrait styles, while supporting icons celebrate his infamous stories – including a reportedly commissioned half-woman, half-swan copper bathtub.

Bertie’s Bar struck a chord with the judges at AHEAD Global too, once again scooping best in class while adding authenticity and a sense of place that helped The Fife Arms secure the Visual Identity award. “The project was very close to the owner’s hearts and that rubbed off on us,” Paton concludes. “We felt that their background in art heightened the visual identity’s potential to deviate from that of a typical hotel into something much richer and more meaningful.”

© Here Design

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