[New] A Kaleidoscope of Hope

British artist Damien Hirst has a longstanding affiliation with Claridge’s. Having transformed its lobby during London’s Frieze Art Fair in 2019 – filling the space with a collection of mythical sculptures that told the story of an ancient shipwreck – the visionary returned to the hotel two years later for the launch of an art gallery, which showcased his very first NFT collection as well as whimsical works – including the iconic pipe cleaner animals and Colour Chart series –available for purchase using cryptocurrency.

Continuing his collaboration with the property, Hirst has topped its seven-storey staircase with a butterfly-inspired mosaic that seeks to capture the circle of life. Marking his debut in stainedglass, the skylight spans 8ft x 6ft and references the artist’s use of butterflies as a form of beauty and tool of provocation; something that began in 1991 with his first solo exhibition, In and Out of Love, for which Hirst attached live pupae to white canvasses, allowing the insects to hatch, fly, mate and die throughout the installation.

Best viewed from the foot of the main staircase, the mosaic upholds the legacy of the artist’s Kaleidoscope series, bringing together a mass of cerulean, scarlet and lilac glass pieces. The compositions reinforce Hirst’s deep-rooted connection with butterflies, which in the past has seen him turn real butterfly wings into dazzling mosaics. Since then, the artist has used the insects to address questions around mortality, exploring the idea of life and death by highlighting their iridescent beauty when both alive and dead.

“I love Claridge’s, I love light and I love butterflies, so I was delighted when asked to design a stained glass window for the hotel’s staircase,” says Hirst. “I love how it’s turned out; I wanted to create an optimistic kaleidoscope of hope and I think the result speaks for itself.”

Idyllic Islands

“Cut off from the commotion of the mainland, surrounded by waves and the high drama of the elements, islands have been a Xanadu for centuries of writers’ and explorers’ most idyllic fantasies,” writes John Burns, Editor-inChief at Kinfolk, in the first of a new series that fosters thoughtful perspectives on the places we visit. Published by Artisan Books, the 256-page hardback takes readers on a journey off the beaten track, to islands big and small, through a collection of 18 new travel stories. Burns has split the tome into three sections, each comprising six different destinations with a long-form essay: Escape transports the audience to otherworldly landscapes and ponders the meaning behind the buzzworthy term, ‘armchair traveller’; Explore stretches the definition of island to its boundaries, visiting islands that offer new perspectives on urban settings; and Unwind ventures to some of the world’s most beautiful coastlines, from bougainvillea-fringed Mediterranean sands to rugged and remote Nordic shores. Alongside considered destination coverage, Kinfolk Islands comprises 280 vibrant photographs and practical guidance for travellers, as well as thoughtful reflections on why the idea of an island embodies so many travel fantasies.

HIX teams up with a trio of hospitality designers to launch a collective dedicated to supporting the recovery of Ukraine’s hospitality industry.

Over the past few years, the global hospitality industry has deftly navigated a once-in-a-generation crisis, and through a process of adaptation, evolution and innovation, the sector is returning stronger and more dynamic than ever. But it’s important to recognise that not everywhere has bounced back as quickly, and some – like the Ukrainian hospitality scene – are facing new challenges, such as war. Now is the time to use and share the lessons learnt from the pandemic to aid the recovery of the country’s hotel market in its time of need.

“War changes everything around you,” explains Ukrainian designer Yova Yager, who recently opened a new restaurant in Odessa despite

At HIX 2022, the collective established a student competition – focused exclusively on Ukraine – to envision the future of hospitality design. Open to all Ukrainian architecture and interior design students, the competition provides entrants with access to mentorship lectures from the three judges covering numerous aspects of the hospitality industry, with prizes set to include internship opportunities at partner studios. The resulting winners will be invited to attend HIX 2023 and the AHEAD Europe 2023 awards ceremony, with Yotel hosting them for the duration of their stay in London.

“I have always been motivated by attracting the next generation of architects and designers into the world of hospitality design and, to that

Hospitality, Not Hostility

the ongoing conflict. “You begin to appreciate what you always thought was a given – access to drinking water, the ability to communicate with loved ones and even to speak in a native language,” she explains. “But when the sirens begin and people hide in bomb shelters, they continue to live, and, crucially, continue their education. At such times, the primary things become secondary; education may not save your life at a time of war, but it is a question to the future: what comes after victory?” end, ReardonSmith Architects ran a European student award for a number of years,” says Executive Chairman of the practice, Patrick Reardon. “Our dedicated focus on architecture and design students in Ukraine, together with our decision to expand our mission into a programme of mentoring for all students involved in the competition will, I believe, add greater value and demonstrate our support for the hopes of the Ukrainian people for a future where hostility will be replaced by hospitality.”

Building on this spirit of resilience, HIX has partnered with Yager, alongside London-based firms ReardonSmith Architects and MKV Design to form Kindling – a design collective launched to support, showcase, elevate and mentor Ukrainian architecture and design students. Together, the trio of designers will foster hospitality excellence in all its forms, recognising the social value of design and the emerging talent that could drive the reimagination of these spaces as centres of cohesive, post-war communities.

Maria Vafiadis, founder and Managing Director of MKV Design, concludes: “All wars mean destruction. By contrast, architecture and design is about creation, and hospitality embodies the act of bringing people together, bridging cultural differences and giving people the chance to engage in positive new experiences. Our aim is to give Ukraine’s emerging architects and designers an opportunity to express themselves, learn and be part of a programme that looks to their futures.”

New A&D Centre open in Clerkenwell

As the hotel sector goes green, Essraa Shaaban of Dubai-based studio Ema reveals why a collaborative approach will be key.

The return of leisure travel post-pandemic has brought with it a greater demand for truly sustainable destinations, with consumers becoming more critical of hotel operation standards than ever before. Such shifts have forced hotel operators to step away from greenwashing shortcuts and move towards more holistically sustainable practices. And while ecoresorts and incentivising reward systems have kickstarted the transition towards a greener future, what’s next for hospitality could be a game changer, according to interior architect Essraa Shaaban of Dubai-based studio Ema –which is committed to balancing human need, economic requirements and environmental responsibility in every step of its hotel projects.

architects, designers, contractors, consultants and end users – to partake in sustainability goals early in the design process. Everyone gets a seat at the table, and this collaborative approach is key to locating cross-discipline synergies and solving problems in a project’s infancy.

It is time to stop looking at sustainable design as being solely environmentally conscious and start looking at it as a holistic design process. The reality is that sustainable design is about building in harmony with the triple bottom line, a conceptual tool that aims to develop longterm sustainable businesses and measure their success against three main factors: economic impact, social impact and environmental impact. Building design is not much different