14 minute read
Meeting... Jean-Michel Gathy
from Sleeper - Issue 90
Having designed iconic hotels from the Swiss mountains to the Vietnam tropics, the architect’s architect sits down with Sleeper to talk inspiration and the influence of travel.
Words: Chris Dwyer • Portrait Photography: Courtesy of Denniston
Up in his office with views high above the ever-changing skyline of Kuala Lumpur, the man acknowledged as the architect’s architect – creator of some of the world’s most luxurious hotels and resorts – explains his disdain for modern technology in the design process. “A computer? No, everything by hand. Every single drawing out of this office comes from my hand. I work 18 hours-a-day; last night it was three o’clock in the morning when I went to bed.”
A preference for pen over PC is a remarkable admission from anyone in the world of hospitality, but when you consider what JeanMichel Gathy has achieved, it almost defies belief. Projects of such scale, innovation and daring have flowed from this pen, and the insatiably curious mind guiding it, for almost four decades.
As Principal Designer of Denniston, the company he founded in 1993, Gathy’s remarkable back catalogue includes iconic properties such as Cheval Blanc Randheli, The Chedi Andermatt, multiple Aman resorts including those in Venice, Turks & Caicos and Vietnam, as well as projects for Four Seasons, One & Only and Mandarin Oriental. If you’ve swam – or taken a selfie – in the famed rooftop infinity pool overlooking Singapore at Marina Bay Sands, or slept in any of the numerous luxury tented accommodations springing up, then you have Gathy to thank.
The Belgian maestro is now 64, but looks much younger than his years, despite a global travel schedule that would be punishing for someone three decades his junior. In many ways however, travel has defined Gathy’s life. He fell in love with atlases and globes as a youngster, planning his family’s holidays at the age of just nine. Today it remains his ultimate source of seemingly endless creative inspiration. “My bank of knowledge is from travel,” he says. “When you travel, you absorb unconsciously: proportions, songs, looks, colours – fields that your brain continuously assimilates. I need a
Completed in 2015, Cheval Blanc Randheli in the Maldives features contemporary timber villas with thatched roofs
constant discharge of adrenalin because I have that design-all-the-time switch.”
He explains that his design philosophy is one inspired by the pioneering Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa, the man behind what we now recognise as tropical modernism. Beyond the tropics however, Gathy has designed in settings from the snowy mountains of Switzerland to the atolls of the Maldives, and hotel launches planned for 2020 span the globe.
There’s Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok at Chao Phraya River, where 299 keys will blend into nine acres of prime riverfront property. It’s an apt location for a designer known for his love of working with water, with pools and cascades dotted across the site. Gathy is even curating the hotel’s art collection.
Mandarin Oriental Bali, meanwhile, sits atop a cliff in the southern part of the island, and is home to 88 luxury guestrooms with uninterrupted ocean views, while Jumeirah Bali – set next to New Kuta Golf Course – is slated to open in the summer. Then there’s Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Otomachi, One & Only Portonovi and Aman New York. The latter will be located at the intersection of 57 th Street and Fifth Avenue within the historic Crown Building, that according to Gathy has posed a series of challenges.
“Aman New York is a gorgeous building, a magnificent piece of architecture,” he explains. “But it’s also an office building, so when the architect designed it, he distributed the floor plate differently, to serve offices and give flexibility in the subdivision of space. A hotel is not the same, so we had to be creative. It’s a very difficult project in terms of planning, but that’s why we always get these jobs – because we are creative architects and know the hotel business like few others.”
He explains that the 83 guestrooms and suites are huge by New York standards, starting from around 800ft 2 , and that significant focus was given to the project’s 20 Aman Residences – a first for the group – and so too its public areas. “New York City is a place where people like to meet, so we have created a very large terrace on the 10 th floor. The whole public area is created around that level, with a lounge, cigar bar, and dining.”
A presence in New York is a big deal for Aman, and for Gathy too, but he’s keen to point out that the focus is on the end product. “This hotel is a business, not a trophy hunt; we create a hotel because a developer wants to make money. It must look beautiful but it has to work, and that’s not easy. Hotels have to be efficient and look good at the same time, and they must be financially viable and stay so for 50 years.”
Gathy is also leading Denniston – in the capacity of masterplanner – at the recently announced, ultra-luxe Amaala’s The Island, located on Saudi Arabia’s northwestern coastline. Billed as the ‘Riviera of the Middle East’ it entails 2,500 keys, 800 homes and 200 high-end retail, dining, wellness and recreation establishments. While the design details are strictly under wraps, Gathy comments: “The Island development will be an immersive and interactive art-inspired jewel. Its lifestyle components, its landscaping, the museums, and art installations together with the art community will transform this island into the ‘Diamond of the Red Sea’. This is truly unique, nothing like it has ever been planned before.”
Gathy is currently working on the forthcoming Aman New York, where a dramatic 20m swimming pool is surrounded by fire pits and daybeds
Back in Gathy’s office, I ask how he juggles so many prestigious projects at once. “Most importantly, I have to credit all the people who work with me,” he says. “I have the best team a human being can have. Many, many people in this office have been here 18, 20, 25 years. I think this year I’ll actually have four celebrating two decades.”
Given his energy, creativity and extraordinary work ethic, it feels remiss to call any of his projects typical. However, he notes several clear differences between working on hotels and resorts. “When you design a resort over 100 hectares in the middle of the forest somewhere in Indonesia, it’s more difficult. There are logistical issues and political issues. You have to understand topography, the winds, the views; but there’s more room for creativity. When you design an urban hotel, you know the limits – the efficiency of your floor plates.”
As for the inspiration behind his stunning design touches across hundreds of projects, in addition to his love of travel it’s an insatiable curiosity that continues to drive Gathy. “I analyse everything, I’m extremely curious, whether it is a medical, religious or historical fact,” he explains. “I automatically and immediately want to know more. I’m extremely curious, and not just in terms of architecture, interiors and landscapes.”
With our entertaining hour together coming to an end – one Gathy has peppered with anecdotes for another time about rubbing shoulders with the likes of George Clooney, David Beckham and Roger Federer – I ask him what lies ahead. “Basically, my intention is to continue,” he offers. “Until I’m unable, intellectually or physically, and then hopefully my colleagues will take over.”
Even then, one gets the impression that the architect’s architect will still be thinking, drawing and designing, producing visionary and beautiful ideas, pen firmly in hand.
Have a nice stay
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THE LOBBY
Full Sircle
New decade, new Europe Hotels Private Collection; the Amsterdam-based group has retired its lengthy moniker in favour of the much smoother Sircle Collection – drawing inspiration from its Sirbranded projects for a name more befitting the stylish portfolio.
Arriving with the rebrand comes a refreshed logo, website, and guest portal too, with The Sircle Collection’s new identity designed by London-based Studio Frith.
“We are thrilled to announce our new name, Sircle Collection, which marks fresh beginnings for an exciting year and decade ahead,” founder Liran Wizman comments. “Our hotels and other projects are constantly evolving, and the umbrella company needed a facelift, which we hope is now in keeping with that mindset and my personal drive to explore new, exciting ideas.”
Featuring clean, simple illustrations and a colour palette that seeks to reflect the group’s core values of contemporary, creative and locally conscious, the revamp follows nine years of growth for EHPC in which Wizman oversaw the opening of 13 outposts in eight European cities, as well as various F&B and retail venues. Sircle Collection will continue to encompass all the group’s subsidiaries, which include Sir Hotels, Max Brown Hotels and Park Centraal Hotels. The portfolio will expand to The Hague in late 2020 with a new Park Centraal, and Berlin in 2021 with the opening of the seventh Sir hotel. The company also has its eye on Lisbon, and the development of its Amsterdam HQ.
“We look forward to welcoming a new arrival to the Sir Hotels collection in Berlin, which is going to be our most ambitious project to date, in addition to Park Centraal The Hague,” adds Bram van der Hoek, CEO & Partner, Sircle Collection. “As we prepare for growth, preserving our core values, culture and making a positive impact on the local economies in each location will be a key priority for us and the Sircle team.”
Adapting the Attic Zoku launches an innovative new loft design to help save space in urban hotels.
With square footage in cities at an all-time premium, there has never been a greater demand for developers and owners to create smart, multi-purpose spaces that are petite in scale yet grand in functionality. Offering a fitting solution to this mounting need, Zoku, the Amsterdambased pioneer of the home/office philosophy, has launched a new modular loft design consisting of standardised elements compatible with various layouts, grid sizes and reduced ceiling heights.
Developed in close collaboration with design agency Concrete, the concept can be implemented in both new and existing hotels, transforming the kitchen, bathroom, bed and storage spaces into building blocks that create more value and flexibility while using fewer square meters.
“Across Europe, we are seeing an increased market pressure for greater efficiency,” says co-founder Hans Meyer. “At Zoku, we sacredly believe in mixed-use development. By combining work, living and socialising, buildings become more than bricks and walls – rather place makers and ecosystems for collaboration.
“We already have a great track record in creating communities, so we wanted to use those insights to help real estate investors turn existing properties into desired placemaking hubs. By hacking our own design, we can help extend the lifecycle of buildings by turning it into a standalone or mixed-use development and optimise its efficiency by doing more with less.”
The news follows the development of Zoku Copenhagen and Zoku Vienna – both opening at the end of 2020 – and translates the brand’s learnings into an evolved product, as co-founder Marc Jongerius explains: “Our new offering underlines our ambition to create a vast network of Zoku sites in European gateway cities. We have been perfecting our offering in Amsterdam since 2016 and feel confident that Zoku’s philosophy and design can help transform existing real estate to become more agile and future-proof.
“Next to our ambition to be a frontrunner for our target audience is our goal to be a forwardthinking partner to both developers and investors; the new design enables us to do the latter more strongly. It allows us to plug into both newbuild as well as existing property and help real estate owners find long-term tenants, create a steady cash flow and extend the life cycle of buildings.”
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Despite the existential threat from Covid-19, the hospitality industry is still finding ways to give back.
During these unprecedented times, the hospitality industry has come together to play its part in the battle against COVID-19. From designing and manufacturing personal protective equipment to offering complimentary rooms for key workers, the sector has rallied to help those most in need.
Back in March, Manchester’s Hotel Football and Stock Exchange Hotel – owned by exteammates Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs – opened their doors to NHS staff, while 300 of IHG’s London guestrooms were repurposed to allow the homeless – one of the most at-risk groups – to self-isolate. In the US, OYO Rooms is offering free accommodation for first responders at 300 of its properties, while in hard-hit New York, Four collect 545,000 surgical masks at the Italian Embassy in Beijing, which were then delivered to the Italian Red Cross and distributed amongst the health facilities most in need of immediate help. Organisers said the gesture was “a way of repaying Italy for its critical early support to China” and “underscored the deepening ties between the Chinese and Italian design sectors”.
Seasons continues to provide vital guestrooms for Midtown medical workers on the front line.
In a bid to combat the current shortage of personal protective equipment around the world, architects and designers also began designing and manufacturing the apparatus themselves. Foster + Partners for instance devised a face shield that can be manufactured extremely quickly, and disassembled and sanitised for reuse. The firm produced 1,000 of the prototype visors in a single day using just one laser cutting machine and have since shared the design templates and material specifications as an open-source asset online, encouraging large-scale manufacturers to investigate the potential of digital and laser cutting machinery as an alternative to 3D printing technology.
Similarly, despite cancelling its 2020 edition after an initial postponement, Salone del Mobile partnered with FederlegnoArredo and VNU Exhibitions Asia – organisers of Salone del Mobile.Milano Shanghai and FLA China – to individually and within groups, and enabling collaborative efforts amongst private and public sectors. A team of health professionals and innovation specialists are now set to support the selection and development of chosen projects, funding them through prototyping and testing, while creators will also be awarded the tuition fee of their current studies, or equivalent scholarship for the department of selected professors.
Hospitality Helps
Meanwhile in Dubai, the Global Grad Show – usually held during Dubai Design Week – called on its community of university graduates and professors to submit proposals that would address the collateral issues related to COVID-19, from improving the efficiency of self-quarantine and increasing treatment capacity and screening methods, to mitigating contagious behaviours
Though the Coronavirus epidemic has halted the world of hospitality and will change the way hotels operate going forward, those at the heart of the industry have recognised that now is the time to look after one other and remember that this is about lives, not numbers. Hospitality’s overarching premise has always been about people, and now, more than ever, those people continue to serve with friendliness and generousity.
