Drawing Board

Kruger Shalati SOUTH AFRICA

Following the rise in air travel through the 20 th century, railways once teeming with life have been forgotten, their stations dormant and tracks left to rust. Looking to transform one of South Africa’s underutilised infrastructure spaces is Thebe Tourism Group, with plans for Kruger Shalati, a train-turned-hotel on Selati Bridge in the heart of Kruger National Park.

Slated to open later this year, the property pays homage to those who first explored the park in the early 1920s, when the train would pull up overnight in the exact spot where Kruger Shalati will be stationed. The train’s name is inspired by Shalati – an African warrior queen whose origins of ruling date back to the 19 th century. According to tradition, Shalati was one of the first female warrior chiefs of the small Tebula clan, part of the Tsonga tribe that lived around the Murchison Range in the present-day Limpopo Province.

Perched above the Sabie River, the hotel’s 24 glass-walled Carriage Rooms celebrate African design through collaborations with local artists and craftspeople, and honour the natural world by way of organic furnishings, patterns and textures. Elsewhere, the Bridge House features seven guestrooms with views of the Sabie River.

The lodge also features a viewing deck complete with cantilevered plunge pool, where guests can tuck into African-inspired fare, while game drives undertaken by professional rangers will allow visitors to get up close with the national park’s prides of lions, herds of elephants, crocodiles and giraffes.

“This is our opportunity to revitalise and recapture an important part of Kruger’s history, while at the same time increasing both the range and quality of product on offer in the park,” says General Manager Judiet Barnes. “The product design is largely the differentiator in this project – not only have we not seen anything alike in our country, but neither is there anything similar in the world.”

Oscar Seppeltsfield

BAROSSA VALLEY

EXPRESS CHECK-OUT Architecture: Intro Architecture www.seppeltsfield.com.au

A new AU$50 million, six-star luxury hotel and day spa at Seppeltsfield, an award-winning winery in South Australia, is set to boost tourism to the Barossa region when it opens in 2022.

Located close to Seppeltsfield tourism village, an attraction offering tours, tastings and dining experiences, Oscar Seppeltsfield is located in the middle of the Great Terraced Vineyard and surrounded by century-old bush vines. It takes its name from winemaker and viticulturist Oscar Benno Seppelt, a celebrated figure in Australian wine culture through the 1900s.

Designed by Adelaide-based practice Intro Architecture, the 12-storey hotel will feature 70 guestrooms and suites, each with its own private balcony, as well as a spa, infinity swimming pool, a sky bar with 360-degree views and a fine-dining restaurant. The design draws inspiration from the history of the winery and references the wine barrels in the Centennial Cellar.

The project is being funded and driven by a dynamic group of South Australian business leaders. Project spokesman Toby Yap comments: “The Barossa is famous for its wine, food, and spectacular sights, but what it needs is an iconic luxury hotel to cater to local and international guests that visit the region. We are thrilled to be bringing this landmark project to one of the greatest wine regions in the world.”

Warren Randall, Owner and Executive Chairman at Seppeltsfield, adds: “Oscar will complete the grand vision of our tourism master plan for Seppeltsfield to become the most desirable epicurean destination for tourists worldwide. We wanted to create a national icon for South Australia – a Sydney Opera House for the Barossa.”

A tender process led by Hotellerie will soon be undertaken to determine the operator.

Leonardo Hotels

MANCHESTER

Property developer Capital & Centric has completed a funding agreement with the Greater Manchester Pension Fund to finance the construction of a Jenga-style hotel in Manchester’s Piccadilly East neighbourhood. The £35.5 million project – built by Bowmer & Kirkland – is due to be completed in early 2022.

Located on the corner of Adair Street and Great Ancoats, the 275-key hotel has been designed by Stephenson Studio, and will span 14 floors with cantilevered planters across the lower portion. There will also be a ground floor restaurant, café bar and external terrace area spilling out onto a new public square, built by Capital & Centric for the City Council as part of the development.

“In these difficult times it’s even more important to be pushing ahead with our Adair Street hotel. It’s going to be a striking new addition to Manchester’s skyline and an anchor development in Piccadilly East,” says Tim Heatley, co-founder of Capital & Centric. “With residents due to move into our Crusader and Phoenix developments later this year and plans for other homes in the area, this is going to be a thriving new part of the city.”

The development will be acquired by Fattal Group following completion and operated under its Leonardo Hotels brand.

EXPRESS CHECK-OUT Owner: Fattal Group Operator: Leonardo Hotels Developer: Capital & Centric Architecture: Stephenson Studio Main Contractor: Bowmer & Kirkland www.capitalandcentric.com

bespoke switches

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Crown Group

LOS ANGELES

EXPRESS CHECK-OUT Developer: Crown Group, Magnus Property Architecture: Koichi Takada Architects www.crowngroup.com.au

Australian developer Crown Group has announced a move into the US market with a proposed US$500 million mixed-use high rise in Los Angeles. With a corner of South Hill – at the convergence of the city’s financial and fashion districts – earmarked for the project, the development includes a joint venture with Singapore-Based Magnus Property to create a 43-storey project designed by Koichi Takada Architects. Crown Group are currently in talks with a number of luxury hospitality brands to incorporate a 160-key hotel within the project, slated to open in 2024.

“It’s rare to find the central district of a large cosmopolitan city on the verge of such significant change,” says Crown Group CEO Iwan Sunito. “Downtown is experiencing a once in a generation revival – led by the heightened convergence of tech, media and entertainment in Los Angeles. There’s a great deal of investment and it’s exciting to think of what Downtown will be like in another few years’ time. It will be a highly sought-after place to live.”

Featuring 319 condominiums spread across the top two floors, along with an exclusive resident’s retreat, the high-rise portion of project will sit behind a façade referencing California’s colossal redwood trees. Down at street level the tower is grounded by a canopy, and a green wall that will seek to improve the city’s air quality.

“It is our desire, through a nature-inspired approach to architecture, to transform an old warehouse district into a living breathing neighbourhood in LA,” comments Koichi Takada. “We want to humanise tall buildings, to celebrate the pedestrian activities and consider how people experience it,” he notes. “We want our tall building designs to be more engaging for the public, and to contribute to the community by activating and creating a connection with the neighbourhood.”

Air Health Retreat

SERBIA

Set within the Balkan Mountains in southern Serbia, Air Health Retreat takes its inspiration from health resorts known as ‘Air Spas’, which were built for medicinal purposes in socialist Eastern Europe post–World War II. The project’s architecture is contextually derived from the Brutalist movement of the same era and the requirement for thermal mass construction, sustained longevity and robustness – given its remote and exposed location.

Designed by Dubai and London-based firm Anarchitect, the climate resort connects guests with nature through minimalist self-contained accommodation and a rooftop plateau of planted allotments for growing and gathering wild berries, honey and other organic health foods from the region. This open-air roof garden – featuring a shaded, saltwater pool – encourages outdoor activity and foraging, building a shortterm community for those in residence.

Air Health Retreat is also strategically placed at the intersection of natural crosswinds where the altitude and air quality is optimal, creating an opportunity for cross-ventilation throughout the accommodation and communal allotment plateau, meaning guests can sit, lay or gather in the sun whilst taking in views of the valley below and reaping health benefits.

Described by Anarchitect as a “modern-day primordial destination with relative proximity to urban centres as an escape destination and a removal from the city,” the purpose-built hotel is the latest addition to the firm’s growing hospitality portfolio, following the completion of Al Faya Lodge in Sharjah and Harding Boutique Hotel in the Sri Lankan tropics.

Pater Noster

SWEDEN

EXPRESS CHECK-OUT Owner: Government of Sweden Concept, Branding and Interior Design: Stylt www.paternoster.se

Plans have been announced to transform one of Sweden’s most remote lighthouses into a destination hotel and seafood restaurant.

Located on the island of Hamneskär off the west coast of Sweden, Pater Noster was built in 1868 and named in honour of The Lord’s Prayer, thought to have been recited by sailors to protect them in these hazardous waters. Although the island was considered inhabitable, dwellings were built and for over 100 years, generations of keepers lived with their families in this extreme environment, caring for the lighthouse, rescuing shipwrecked sailors and creating a small, isolated community.

The lighthouse was deactivated in 1977 and subsequently fell into disrepair, until a restoration project in the early-2000s saw the cast iron skeletal tower reinstated. Now, the National Property Board of Sweden – responsible for managing assets owned by the state – has signed a lease with an operator to turn Pater Noster into one of Sweden’s top destinations. Award-winning design agency Stylt is responsible for creating the concept, branding and interiors. “In my 30 years in the hospitality business, I have rarely come across such a unique destination,” says Erik Nissen Johansen, Stylt’s founder. “It’s all there – the remote location, the fantastic nature, the extreme weather conditions, the thrilling history – and soon, great hospitality with a dash of rustic, low-key luxury.”

Renovation of the keeper’s house has begun with the first guests set to arrive this summer, while the remainder of the project is due to open in 2021. On completion, the island will feature nine guestrooms, a restaurant serving locally sourced produce, an outdoor café and a bar, where visitors can sample the island’s signature rum, spiced with sloe berries and plants found on the rugged cliffs. Pater Noster will also host meetings and private parties and offer a range of activities such as deep-sea fishing, sailing, kayaking, scuba diving and visiting the legendary lighthouse itself.

“This will be a real home on the horizon, offering the essence of the Swedish west coast,” concludes Johansen, who is also one of the partners in the project. “Our team is a great mix of entrepreneurs, restaurateurs, sailors, hoteliers and me – a fisherman trapped in a hotel designer’s body.”

© Henrik Trygg

Atari Hotels

VARIOUS LOCATIONS

EXPRESS CHECK-OUT Owner: Atari Concept Developer: GSD Group, Woz Innovation Foundation, Napoleon Smith III Developer: True North Studio www.atarihotels.com

Consumer electronics brand Atari has announced its entry into the hotel market with its first property set to open in Phoenix, Arizona. Working with innovation and strategy agency GSD Group, Atari Hotels will launch a series of video game-themed projects combining the brand’s history with immersive experiences including gaming venues and studios to accommodate e-sport events.

The design and development of the hotels is being led by Shelly Murphy of GSD Group and Steve Wozniak’s Woz Innovation Foundation, alongside Napoleon Smith III and real estate firm True North Studio.

“We are thrilled to partner with GSD Group and True North Studio to build the firstever Atari branded hotels across the United States,” comments Fred Chesnais, CEO of Atari. “Together, we’ll build a space that will be much more than just a place to stay. Atari is an iconic global brand that resonates with people of all ages, countries, cultures and ethnic backgrounds. We cannot wait for our fans and their families to enjoy this new hotel concept.”

The news follows the release of figures stating that over 2.5 billion gamers worldwide spent more than US$152.1 billion on games in 2019 alone, up 9.6% year-on-year. As one of the earliest and most influential studios in the development of video games as a medium, Atari will be well placed to draw from a wide demographic of fans and capitalise on its recognisable brand identity.

Billed as a marriage of gaming history and the video game industry’s future, Atari Hotels has its sights firmly set on locations including Las Vegas, Denver, Chicago, Austin, Seattle, San Francisco and San Jose.