Radical Innovation

FINALISTS ANNOUNCED

Seeking ideas with the power to change the industry, the competition for hospitality pioneers unveils this year’s finalists.

Radical Innovation – the annual awards programme that invites bold thinking in hospitality design – has announced the finalists for its 14 th edition, with this year’s submissions focusing on health and wellness.

Competing for a US$10,000 grand prize, Camp Sarika by Amangiri created by Luxury Frontiers, Dream Pod by Populous and The Modern Monastery by Indidesign have been selected to progress to the next stage of the competition in the Hospitality Concepts/Design category, and will present their ideas at an event later this year, where an audience vote will determine the winner. The professional finalists were chosen from 80 entries, with a jury of experts assessing the creativity of each concept, as well as its feasibility and ability to impact the industry.

In addition to the professional finalists, the panel examined a record number of student entries and eventually named Jieru Lin, a recent graduate of California College of the Arts, as the winner. Lin’s Moment Hotel concept blurs the boundary between work and life, and aims

to enable entrepreneurs to be industrious while enjoying their journey to wellbeing.

Winners in the Hospitality Product category have been announced as The Bruskin Glass Modular Shower by Belstone, described as a technological leap into the future in environments where hygiene is a primary concern; and Mio, a smart wellness mirror designed by Arda Genç of Istanbul Technical University, to create a healthier, calmer environment in the guestroom.

Previous winners of Radical Innovation include Zoku, the Concrete-designed coworking/living hybrid that opened in 2016, a year after taking home the prize; and Connetic, a modular concept by Cooper Carry Architects that aims to make use of underutilised spaces.

Radical Innovation is produced by The Hardy Group with support from the University of Illinois School of Architecture, UNLV School of Architecture and media partner Sleeper. www.radicalinnovation.io

CAMP SARIKA BY AMANGIRI LUXURY FRONTIERS

Opened recently as an extension to Amangiri, North America’s first all-weather, yearround tented camp comprises ten pavilions surrounded by 600 hectares of wilderness in the heart of the Utah desert. Designed and developed by Luxury Frontiers, the tents are made from recycled plastic bottles, woven to produce a soft canvas that is durable, lightweight and long-lasting, able to withstand the region’s extreme weather conditions. Interiors are characterised by bespoke walnut and leather furnishings, and etched timber headboards that echo the undulating landscape, while sliding doors open to a spacious outdoor deck with a firepit and private plunge pool. Overlooking the otherworldly landscape of sandstone formations, the backto-nature camp combines the touchstones of Aman luxury with increasing guest demand for more meaningful and contextual experiences. DREAM POD POPULOUS

Using existing technologies including 3D printing, hot air balloons and smartphones, Dream Pod is a series of lightweight, selfsustaining accommodations that would allow guests to experience personalised hospitality and the wonder of flight. Designed by the Kansas City office of Populous, the concept enables guests to fly solo or float as a part of a community, with an app to control ascent and descent. The Dream Pods are 3D printed with a durable lattice structure, and feature curved photovoltaics for capturing sunlight as well as moist gathering strategies to harvest water. Each pod is fitted out with a bed, storage space, shower and waterless toilet, while dining and retail facilities are available at a docking station. Seeking to redefine travel and hospitality, Dream Pod responds to the growing interest in less densely populated spaces following the global pandemic. THE MODERN MONASTERY INDIDESIGN

With quarries generally perceived as unsightly lacerations on the landscape, The Modern Monastery by LA-based Indidesign seeks to embrace rather than conceal, transforming decommissioned sites into unique guest experiences. Featuring a vertical set of rooms carved into the excavated rock face, the adaptive reuse concept reconnects the quarry to the wider landscape via a sense of calm and grounded energy inspired by natural wellness, with guests also connected to this journey. Highlighting the dramatic scale and imposing sculptural quality, the quarry’s ridges hold the living units – each featuring floor-to-ceiling windows and exposed stone surfaces – with layers connected via a mix of visible and hidden passages. Outside, empty cavities are filled with water for a series of reflective pools, contributing to a transformative journey of physical, visual and spiritual discovery.