A Bar Design Was Created from Recycled Materials Collected Around the City

This week’s instalment of the Project of the Week series features a unique bar design by 2022 SBID Awards Finalist, Adam Hunt Ideas and Gemma Lin.

At the start of the Covid Pandemic, the Australian Government sealed its borders shut – even to Australian Citizens – for more than 2 years. The Australian/Taiwanese Artists & Interior Designers Adam Hunt & Gemma Lin were visiting family in Taiwan when they became two of the tens of thousands of Australians unable to return home.

With their Sydney Bar/Restaurant locked down for nearly 8 months & no prospect of going back, they decided to keep themselves busy by creating a unique venue based on their Interior Design Philosophy: that the future is best served by reimagining the past. They call it “The Art of Extreme Sustainability”.

The Plan was to have no Plans. Once the location was secured – a 150 year old derelict building – a 3 month journey began to collect recycled building materials from the beaches, the rocky coast, abandoned dwellings & fishing villages around the ancient Port City of Keelung. They harvested wood from old fishing boats, rope & plastic floats from fishing nets, rusty old anchors, driftwood, buoys & abandoned broken furniture from the streets.

The Interior Design evolved from whatever they found – all furniture, light features, vanity units, decor & art was recycled, up-cycled, repaired or created from scratch. It sure beat doing nothing.

What was the client’s brief? 

The Art of Extreme Sustainability.

What inspired the design of the project?

The ancient Port City of Keelung on the wild North Coast of Taiwan has been inhabited by The Ketagalan Tribe of Aborigines (who share DNA with the Samoans) for over 6,000 years. And they’re still here – despite having been invaded, occupied & pillaged over the centuries – starting in 1544 by The Portuguese, followed by The Spanish, Dutch, French, The Qing Dynasty Chinese, and then the Japanese Colonial Era from 1895 until the end of WW2.

The Japanese began the historic Kànzǎidǐng Night Street Fish Market in Keelung over 120 years ago, and our location is right in the middle of its fully chaotic midnight to dawn hustle & bustle – sandwiched between the Red Light District and the 17th Century Temple to The Great Goddess Mazu – Patron Saint to Seafarers everywhere.

So we decided to build our Bar out of an old Fishing Boat – to honour the Great Goddess Mazu, who was particularly Badass. According to Legend the Demons Qianliyan (“Thousand-Mile Eye”) and Shunfeng’er (“Wind-Following Ear”) both fell in love with her – so she conceded that she would marry the one who defeated her in combat. Being a supreme Martial Artist, Mazu easily dispatched them both & thus remained single. That’s Girl Power right there. Our portrait “Wall Of Bad Mamas” celebrates strong, fierce, independent Women – from a local Female Pirate, to Frida Kahlo, from the first Woman in Space, to Amy Winehouse – because let’s face it… well behaved women seldom make history.

What was the toughest hurdle your team overcame during the project?

Anyone can have a crazy idea like: “Let’s build our Bar out of an old Fishing Boat” – but you have to be truly mad to believe you can actually pull it off.

The challenge was not only to find a Fishing Boat exactly the right size for the room, but also to somehow fit it up the incredibly narrow alleyway behind the enormous 17th Century Mazu Temple, that’s literally just 38 inches across from our front door.

I could literally write an action adventure novel about that 2 day journey to get the boat… or… you could just watch this.

What was your team’s highlight of the project?

We found God! Our ‘Rescue Deity’ was discovered sitting in an abandoned derelict Seaside Hotel. He seemed pretty happy to see us, so we built him a plinth out of old wood from a fishing boat, as well as his very own Bamboo forest & garden of ocean-tumbled rocks in a light well.

Now anyone who visits Bad Mama can also find God – whenever they need to find the bathroom.

Why did you enter this project into the SBID Awards?

We wanted to see if a Husband & Wife Team – with zero education or Training in Interior Design – could mix it up with the big guys on the Global Awards Stage.

We are Artists, Painters, Sculptors, Designers, Builders, Furniture Makers, Chefs & Cocktail Specialists. We have a passion for Sustainability & a fresh vision for the Future based on how we reimagine the Past. Cheers!

Questions answered by Adam Hunt, Founder, Adam Hunt Ideas.

This week’s instalment of the Project of the Week series features a luxurious bar-restaurant design by 2022 SBID Awards Finalist, Albion & East.

What was the client’s brief? 

To create a 300 cover bar-restaurant with a grand, centre-piece bar, a very open kitchen integrated into the space and two iconic outside terraces.

What inspired the design of the project?

The building is the former 1930’s Forum Theatre, designed by Mr Stanley Beard who specialised in cinema architecture, but had long since closed and remained abandoned for 15 years until we resurrected it as Teatro Hall. The original interior had an Italian Renaissance style design with high ceilings and large columns. Our inspiration was to resurrect the building in ‘Stile Liberte’, an Italian variant of Art Nouveau and named after Arthur Liberty and the store he founded Liberty’s. We were rediscovering, resurrecting and reawakening and building of grand proportions in a subtle, not slavish, mind to its history.

What was the toughest hurdle your team overcame during the project?

With new Brexit laws, delivery of bespoke items made for us in Europe needed careful planning and challenged budgets. Coupled with increases in raw material costs we had to focus hard on design elements which were stand out. Having to work harder than ever before, we didn’t compromise on design and hit budgets through planning and extending our network of suppliers of bespoke and hand made items.

What was your team’s highlight of the project?

A grand island bar takes centre stage with a tall backdrop of etched blue Venetian Glass housed in cherry wood, marble bar top and pale parchment under tiled counter. Our Clock Tower is reminiscent of seating in the Waldorf Astoria lobby in NYC. Banquets, with rich midnight velvet seats and pale cream linen curtains, create intimacy. Four handmade Murano glass chandeliers, with over 100 glass columns each, create grandeur that the space demands.

Why did you enter this project into the SBID Awards?

Having followed the awards for several years, I have always been impressed at the quality and diversity of the finalists. It has been a source of interest and inspiration for me over the years as I have been developing my company. SBID is a well recognised and prestigious organisation and it’s an honour to be a finalist with you.

Questions answered by Sarah Weir, Lead Designer and the Founder & Managing Director, Albion & East.

This week’s instalment of the Project of the Week series features a dining and late-night venue design by 2022 SBID Awards Finalist, Novo Design.

We were brought in as the design team to assist with the delivery of Inca, an exotic dining and late-night venue situated under the London Palladium at Oxford Circus. The turnaround on the project was unheard of for its scale but the project manager knew we were the right team to do this and would be able deliver an outstanding design under challenging time scales. And that we did. We worked through the specification process pragmatically with the client prioritising the longest lead items and bit by bit, and lots of late nights and specification meetings later we started on site with 90% of the design information signed off. The last elements were worked out easily as a team on site. After 16 weeks of possibly the most intense project we have ever worked on the final results were outstanding and it was credit to the client for putting their trust in us and being decisive with decisions and sign off, the contractor for working tirelessly through the build and offering pragmatic solutions to problems if they occurred whilst on site and a fantastic project and cost manager for keeping it all ticking and making sure everyone was where they should be.

What was the client’s brief? 

To create a high end, premium environment to act as a backdrop to world class Latin America shows and performance and an exceptional food and drink offer.

What inspired the design of the project?

A journey through Latin America. Colours, textures, landmarks and environment were all huge factors that inspired the design decisions.

What was the toughest hurdle your team overcame during the project?

Lead time, covid and Brexit. We were briefed in July and delivered the project at the end of October. We didn’t have the usual lead in to organically develop the design it had to be done on the fly so there were lots of intense meetings making decisions quickly to ensure contractors had information ahead of starting on site. Limited to selecting UK stocked items/materials as we didn’t have time for European transit times which was limiting and more challenging to create such a high-end premium feel with limited options.

What was your team’s highlight of the project?

Going to the launch event. It was amazing delivering such a unique design, but it really comes to life when the space is full of people, the performers are on stage and the food and drinks are theatrically delivered to your table. A dining experience like no other.

Why did you enter this project into the SBID Awards?

This was such an intense project due to the timing and tight turn around. The team were working on drawings and details until the early hours of the morning regularly and then heading to site the next day, they put so much into the project to ensure it was delivered perfectly and it would be great if they could get some recognition for the time and effort put in.

Questions answered by Abbie Smith, Founder and Creative Director, Novo Design.

This week’s instalment of the Project of the Week series features a creative restaurant and bar venue design by 2022 SBID Awards Finalist, DesignLSM.

What was the client’s brief? 

The Alchemist, an experiential British restaurant and bar group founded in 2010, wanted to create a fresh, new look for their original site located in Manchester’s dynamic Spinningfield’s district.

DesignLSM were tasked to create a visually compelling design that enabled the drinking and dining venue to seamlessly transition from day to night, reflecting the evolution of brand, and invigorated the space with a welcoming and energising ambiance.

What inspired the design of the project?

The design of The Alchemist draws inspiration from the origins of the universe – creating an immersive experience for guests that is influenced by the search for the elixir of life and humanity’s continual fascination with our own origins and the subsequent exploration of the universe.

The colours running throughout the design reference the tones created through supernovas and swirling gasses, intertwined with patterns and shapes of orbital pathways of pathways of planets that are represented through curated bespoke furnishing and lighting features.

What was the toughest hurdle your team overcame during the project?

We were very aware that, due to the height of the ceilings, we needed to create big scale dramas in the space otherwise the design would get lost.

We overcame this by integrating striking lighting features throughout that had been carefully curated from both an atmospheric and design narrative perspective. Each sculptured pendant is influenced by the cosmos, the orbits of planets and satellites. The collective groups are hung in specific positions to create dramatic focal points which enhances the changing ambience of the day and creates dynamic zones within the open plan space – sculptural statements in the day to luminous masterpieces at night.

What was your team’s highlight of the project?

From the get-go, the concept was well interpreted and we’re extremely proud of the space and new direction that we have delivered for The Alchemist. Since re-opening, we’re thrilled with the positive feedback received from both the client and the public. Despite there being a vast selection of drinking and dining destinations in the city, The Alchemist continues to set itself apart and remains as one of Manchester’s most renowned and vibrant social hot spots.

Why did you enter this project into the SBID Awards?

The work we completed for The Alchemist went beyond the creation of just a beautiful design, it transitioned the brand into a new era of what they represented, evolving their core DNA. The striking space has cemented The Alchemist as the go-to hot spot in Manchester drinking and dining’s scene, receiving a hugely positive response from the public, press, and the client. The SBID Awards are renowned for celebrating the best of interior design and as we are incredibly proud of what we achieved, we hope this project has earned its rightful place in the running as one of Manchester’s most vibrant new openings.

Questions answered by Yasamin Nikoosimaitak, Marketing Manager, DesignLSM.

This week’s instalment of the Project of the Week series features nine distinctive bar designs by 2022 SBID Awards Finalist, 4SPACE.

What was the client’s brief? 

4SPACE was tasked to design nine very distinctive bars for PAPA Dubai, each with different offerings. The Bar Village is made up of little ‘boulevards’ including the Rum Station, Champagne Avenue, Gin Point, And Vodka Lane, Tequila Road, Mezcal Street, Sake Alley, Wine Square, Whiskey Square, and a VIP Lounge called High gate.

What inspired the design of the project?

PAPA Dubai is an exciting 1,580 square meters dining and entertainment destination in the vibrant Atrium complex, the dining and entertainment epicenter of riverside Al Habtoor City. PAPA will take its visitors on an extraordinary culinary and mixology journey through nine glorious bars, each themed with a unique concept. Comfort and soul food are at the very heart of the dining experience. The fascinating bars have been developed in collaboration with Moscow and Dubai’s top bartending figures.

The transformational venue transforms from a sophisticated and immersive dining experience to a chic nightlife venue with DJs and entertainment as evening moves to night. Move from a quiet dinner with friends to one of the city’s best vibes. Feel the energy of this unrivaled sensory-driven experience in Dubai. PAPA Dubai will host some of the world’s most courageous bartenders vying to show off their avant-garde skills throughout the year. Each of the nine bars has been carefully considered and designed by inimitable 4SPACE in a collaboration with Papa’s founder Natalia Freys.

What was the toughest hurdle your team overcame during the project?

There were several challenges that 4SPACE had to overcome. Eight different terrazzo surfaces were designed and installed throughout Papas. Cleverly, designers sourced authentic materials and graffiti artists to allow for fully cohesive individuality. 4SPACE presented the clients a 3D design which they executed to perfection. The piece de resistance is the nine thoroughly different concepts within one narrative. The arches unify the overall design.

What was your team’s highlight of the project?

Unique key features:

Rum Station – Tiki bar concept with tiki-style totem poles and art on the walls and bamboo surface accents with greenery on the ceiling.

Champagne Avenue – terrazzo highlights, bubbly texture with organic patterns used on the arches and moldings and printed on the banquette seating fabrics, and four classic chandeliers,

Gin point and Vodka Lane – retro bar that features an impressive disco ball centered in the arched ceiling and UV paint graffiti on mesh screens.

Tequila Road and Mezcal Street – designed to capture the spirit of South America with sugar skull centered in the archway and lighting inspired by Mexican sombreros.

Sake Alley – the wooden structures over the bar are designed and built based on the Japanese Kumiki joinery method and careful lighting that was chosen to represent a peaceful zen garden.

Wine Court – designed as a wine cellar with four prominent arches and an oversized mirror to reflect the arches into eight, a mixture of bricks and mirrors on the arched ceiling, and copper details inset into the bar and furniture.

Whiskey Square – feels secluded from the other bars, is central in the symmetrical space with sensual onyx lighting and was inspired by Art Deco style, including lighting and detailing on the fascia of the bar.

The Entrance – impressive and eccentric with red pipe and greenery installation that hangs from the ceiling and customized carpet below.

VIP Lounges – the red one serves as an extension to the entrance, represents the brand colour of PAPA and boasts three oversized lighting pendants, while the other is centered with an enormous arch and copper mesh on the wall, black marble on the floor, and gorgeous lounge seating.

DJ Booth – a space that can easily convert into a dance floor because of its entertainment lighting, circular kinetic mirrors, and led lighting.

Female Toilet – designed with banquette seating and comfortable poufs where ladies can take a rest while waiting in the queue, the wall feature is made from triangular screens surrounded by mirrors for Instagrammable selfies and the exciting ceiling feature is made from a pink ball installation with stretched mannequin legs.

Male Toilet – inspired by fun house-style mirrors with led lights and a black ball installation.

Terrazzo is well-known in the industry for its sustainability and eco-friendly properties. Due to its natural composition, terrazzo does not contain any volatile organic compounds (VOC). VOCs are organic compounds that vaporise by temperature changes and high pressure. This leads to emissions, the leading cause of air pollution in urban areas, harming the environment. Architecture is becoming environmentally friendly, and durable, long-lasting materials such as terrazzo are a huge advantage today. 4SPACE is keen to encourage change that benefits the environment and circular economy.

In contrast to wood, tile, and carpeting, terrazzo does not contain grout joints. As a result, there is no need for steam cleaning, energy-wasteful vacuuming, and grout cleaning. Terrazzo is water and highly stain-resistant, therefore easy to manage. Terrazzo is the number one choice for extensive facilities with high foot traffic, such as hospitals, airports, schools, and office buildings. By using terrazzo in construction, 4SPACE ensures exceptional indoor air quality, durable, eco-friendly and low-maintenance flooring and worktop surfaces.

PAPA’s Instagram page has become hype and is attracting a lot of customers who are curious about the design elements in the female toilets. Social media influencers have described PAPA Dubai as one of the most Instagrammable night and bar entertainment venues in the United Arab Emirates because of its unique design. 4SPACE has an impressive network and enviable relationship with industry, lifestyle and entertainment magazines, blogs and influencers, generating vast exposure and traffic for the venue.

Why did you enter this project into the SBID Awards?

Putting our project in front of the eyes of professionals, we appreciate their opinion and the recognition.

Questions answered by Firas Alsahin, Founder & Design Director, 4SPACE.

The project is developed in an old house in the neighborhood of Palermo. A complete reorganisation of the space was carried out, generating two accesses to two spaces of different uses that complement each other according to the hours of operation of the restaurant.

Considering the history of the old houses of Buenos Aires, the courtyards have always been a space of congregation. So the first great design strategy was to create an access courtyard immediately after the façade as a symbol and blow of effect. This allowed to have a new façade of its own language, and as a consequence to preserve the old style of the main façade. From the point of view of operation, the patio is fundamental for the take away model and also explores outdoor post-covid use.

The proposed language was the result of a deep analysis of the elements that define the gastronomic proposal, a proposal that boasts of a type of American pastry. Hence the reference to the old way of “cooling the cake by the window” and its corollary proposal to use multiple windows on the façade of the entrance courtyard.

Another determining element has been the abstract representation of cakes built by cardboard cylinders, as a system of “skins” that cover certain areas such as the entrance arches and the bar back, a place that attracts all eyes in the purchase process.

These “cakes or cakes” also include two traditional symbols of pastry, the strainer and the whisks, both elements we condense into a single piece as a symbol.

The language of interior architecture is a vernacular composition of the typical demolished industrial style. From this word “demolished” started the idea of using elements that simulate an “under construction” area, that is, scaffolding woods, construction irons, metal fabrics. All neutral materials that make up a universe of constructive sieves and background a demolished house where dry vegetation takes possession of an old house that seems to be in a state of abandonment.

Lighting has become a distinctive element built with wooden structure supports and surrounded by dry vegetation, as a poetic act of how vegetation can take an abandoned wooden scaffolding structure.

On the first floor, crossing the symbolic wooden windows and a large vegetation that climbs through them, we find a private room where the high cocktail bar takes presence. We emulate through the symbolic Lagerstroemia tree in the center of the courtyard and the use of wood around the courtyard the idea of the house in the tree. Hence its name Moshu treehouse.

If you’d like to feature your project here, get in touch to find out more. 

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This week’s instalment of Project of the Week series features an intricate historical bar design by 2021 SBID Awards Finalist, SHH.

SHH created new design strategies for The Bar at The Dorchester alongside proposals for transforming an adjacent under-utilized space into one that complimented the function of The Bar. Proposals needed to ensure that each of the spaces be versatile in that they could be used comfortably by guests, and that these guests’ needs could be functionally provided for, during mornings, afternoons and through into the evening, guaranteeing constant usage of the space throughout the whole day.

The requirements for The Bar included an ability during the day to operate as a lounge serving small plates and bar snacks, and doing so without compromising its essential use as an evening cocktail venue. The design proposal balanced display, visibility, intimacy and privacy with seating flexible enough to adjust to smaller pairings and larger groups.

Making use of a richly detailed palette of materials, the design interwove references to the history of the bar and hotel, references to the sites pre-hotel past, and to the stories and events that have taken place within its walls.

What was the client’s brief? 

A significant amount of time had passed since The Bar had been refurbished, so the first part of the brief called for a new design that better reflected the character of the hotel and its brand, the buildings architecture, and the interiors of the other public areas within The Dorchester.

Secondly, a solution was needed that would allow the space to extend its operating hours beyond solely evenings, enabling it to be used comfortably by guests throughout the whole day.

The third part of the brief was to propose uses for an adjacent mezzanine area, and for which we designed a day-service tea room that could transform into an intimate evening whiskey and cigar bar.

What inspired the design of the project?

Honestly, we were spoilt for choice when it came to inspiration.

There was the personality of the bar manager Giuliano Morandin and stories of past guests and long-term residents like Sir Percival David, the collector of Chinese porcelain who kept large parts of his collection in his suite at the hotel and which was subsequently bequeathed to the British Museum.

There is the building itself which is that hybrid of Art Deco and Classicism. And period interior details such as fluted panelling; hand-painted wall panels depicting equestrian activities in Hyde Park; colour palettes combining gold, blues and greens.

And then there was Dorchester House that use to occupy the site and was the home of the Earl of Dorchester, the 3^rd Marquess of Hertford, and towards the end of its life the home of the American Ambassador whose guests included Mark Twain and Theodore Roosevelt. When the house was demolished one of its chimney pieces entered into the collections of the V&A.

What was the toughest hurdle your team overcame during the project?

The Bar at The Dorchester was last refurbished in 2006 and whilst the refurbished bar had a character of its own it felt alien to the rest of the hotel. The bar manager emphasised that existing guests and patrons were very attached to spaces in The Dorchester, meaning that any proposed changes needed to be done with sensitivity, addressing the desires of these existing guests at the same time as creating new appeal to attract a new generation.

What was your team’s highlight of the project?

The most amazing thing was designing a space within a building that had a history of its own, with its own stories to tell, architecturally and about the people who have and continue to pass through its doors. Digging into this past created extremely fertile ground around which we could build our design.

Why did you enter this project into the SBID Awards?

The SBID provides a great platform for recognition to practices who wish to showcase their work to a talented audience by bringing together high standards of work from across the world.

Questions answered by Brendan Heath, Director Hospitality & Commercial Interiors, SHH.

This week’s instalment of Project of the Week series features a CGI design of a transformable restaurant-bar venue by 2021 SBID Awards Finalist, 4SPACE Design.

PAPA Dubai is an exciting 1,580 square meters dining and entertainment destination in the vibrant Atrium complex, the epicenter of riverside Al Habtoor City. PAPA Dubai will take its visitors on an extraordinary culinary and mixology journey through nine glorious bars, each themed with a unique concept. Comfort and soul food are at the very heart of the dining experience. The fascinating bars have been developed in collaboration with Moscow and Dubai’s top bartending figures.

The venue transforms from a sophisticated and immersive dining experience to a chic nightlife venue with DJs and entertainment as evening moves to night. From a quiet dinner with friends to one of the city’s best vibes – feel the energy of this unrivalled sensory-driven experience. PAPA Dubai will host some of the world’s most courageous bartenders vying to show off their avant-garde skills throughout the year.

PAPA Dubai is made up of little ‘boulevards’ including the Rum Station, Champagne Avenue, Gin Point, Vodka Lane, Tequila Road, Mezcal Street, Sake Alley, Wine Square, Whiskey Square, and a VIP Lounge called High gate. Each of the nine distinctive bars has been carefully considered and designed by inimitable 4SPACE in a collaboration with Papa’s founder Natalia Freys.

What was the client’s brief? 

To design a dining and entertainment destination as a Sensory experience, an urban playground of avant-garde cocktails, world-class cuisine, and irresistible beats.

• 9 bar concepts with avant-garde mixology under one roof and to host world’s top bartenders.
• Space with a mood that changes with its visitors, from a quiet spot with friends to a non-stop party venue offering hand-selected music by its internationally-renowned DJs.
• A venue which is able to evolve as the energy rises and the tempo picks up.

What inspired the design of the project?

The Arched boulevard. To create a cohesive Bar-village feel and to achieve one narrative that wraps around the venue, archways in different finishing are used throughout the expansive space. They create a unified design between each of the bars to form little ‘boulevards’.

What was the toughest hurdle your team overcame during the project?

4SPACE allowed two months for the design and another five months for the fit-out and transformation. There were various challenges because of the sheer variety of materials required for each bar, the complex mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) requirements, and the acoustic challenges that take the bars from soulful eateries to exciting night venues.

Another challenge that 4SPACE had to overcome are the different terrazzo surfaces that were designed and installed throughout Papas. Cleverly, designers sourced authentic materials and graffiti artists to allow for fully cohesive individuality. The piece de resistance is the nine thoroughly different concepts within one narrative.

What was your team’s highlight of the project?

The Entrance. It has an impressive, eccentric entrance with red pipe and greenery installation that hangs from the ceiling and customized carpet below.

The transformation. The venue is designed with the ability to transform. As the evening draws to a close, you can dine in style at a chic restaurant. As night time falls over the city the restaurant metamorphoses into an elegant party venue.

Integrated into the design are both architectural lighting and entertainment lighting, providing the ability to have 5 different scenarios of the lighting ambience based on time and experience required.

Why did you enter this project into the SBID Awards?

We’ve been participating in the SBID Awards yearly and it has been our practice ever since. We trust SBID for its ethics and transparency. We believe that through the SBID platform, our designs gain global recognition and give us the chance to connect with peers, press, and potential clients around the world. We became part of the international design community with new audiences on a global scale.

The CGI project and photos from the completed venue, compared:

Questions answered by Mr. Firas Alsahin, Co-founder and Design Director, 4SPACE Design.

The second bar comprises a series of elongated sinuous arches, creating a sense of dramatic verticality within the space. The bar sits as a focal point stretching between the last two arches and its design was inspired by the complex arrangements of vaults and arches frequently seen in railway station architecture. Custom made chrome hemispheres set within the hand painted, illuminated arches are suggestive of over-sized rivets and the industrial-inspired ribbed timber and metal strapping details pay homage to the railway inspired aesthetic.

If you’d like to feature your project on SBID, get in touch to find out more.

To become an accredited member of the SBID, click here. 

Project of the Week: SBID Awards Finalists 2019

This week’s instalment of the #SBIDinspire interior design series features a striking yet stylish boutique hotel design in Germany’s fifth largest city; Moxy Frankfurt City Center emulates the exciting nightlife and eclectic scene of downtown Frankfurt with neon play area, modern guest lounge, urban aesthetic, vibrant wall murals and cool, artistic flair.

JOI-Design created Moxy’s new European guestroom brand standards and implemented them into this new-build project. This rethink led JOI-Design to also develop Moxy’s next generation of public areas featuring clean-lined, industrial architecture with a more “grown-up” vibe than previous locales. Multi-functional public areas fuse the urban with the urbane, picking up on the street culture and warehouse aesthetic prevalent downtown. Visible ceiling pipes and exposed concrete walls create “industrial chic” with a coordinated mix of stylish furniture, loud beats, humorous touches and textured details discovered upon second glance. Typeset artwork along with bear and bull references allude to the nearby stock exchange and the site’s former life as newspaper Frankfurter Rundschau‘s headquarters.

SBID Awards: Hotel Public Space Design finalist sponsored by Viva Lagoon

Practice: JOI-Design

Project: Moxy Frankfurt City Centre

Location: Hessen, Germany

What was the client’s brief? 

Our brief was to fully understand the Moxy spirit and create a world that would allow it to flourish. We were initially commissioned to develop new guestroom brand standards for Moxy hotels in Europe, and then also to bring these to life through the Frankfurt property. It was important that our design would let guests soak up local culture.

What inspired the interior design of the project? 

Many things! Moxy’s target market is moving towards a digital nomadic lifestyle. The flexibility of mobile working has led to a greater mix between work with play, with short stays lasting one or two nights. These are travellers who fit everything into carry-on luggage and make the most of travel adventures with party nights out. At the same time, they also remain conscious of their health and wellbeing. As a result, the guestrooms are a relaxing retreat for sociable guests, places where they can rebalance with calm and organized interiors designed for maximum efficiency and minimal wastage. Closets aren’t needed, since travelling light means minimal storage is required, so we designed the latticed “functionality wall”.

In the public areas, influences from the site’s former life as newspaper Frankfurter Rundschaut’s headquarters appear through allusions to typography and journals. The nearby stock exchange also comes into play with bull and bear motifs referencing the rise and fall of market shares. A geometric bull sculpture hangs on a bare concrete wall, while a gigantic teddy bear welcomes guests with a wink. Located at the hotel entrance to attract the attention of passersby is a graffiti mural by Herakut, an internationally acclaimed artist duo with roots in Frankfurt.

What was the toughest hurdle your team overcame during the project?

Marriott initially asked us to design guestrooms in line with the existing brand standards. As the project progressed, they asked us to develop the new Moxy identity, which of course we were very happy to do. The challenge came when they asked us to apply it to the new-build Frankfurt hotel at a very late stage in the project. The building was already under construction with the layout, power points, etc… for our first design, so we needed to work around these restrictions and make the guestrooms function as best possible with the new guidelines.

Also, the public areas floor area is not actually very large, but we needed to accommodate four zones as specified in Moxy’s standards: the library/work space; the welcome section; the F&B facilities; and the lounge. We created a layout with a natural, open feel that flows well from one space to the next.

What was your team’s highlight of the project?

Creating a new destination in a style that is different for Frankfurt hotels, and within the exciting building designed by the respected Hamburg-based architect Hadi Teherani, was inspiring.

Herakut’s graffiti mural is one of our team’ favourite parts of the interiors. We specified the art should relate to the bull and bear theme and the stock exchange, while also instilling an impression of the locale. The result is a street art-styled mural that shows two children playing in bear and bull costumes – a young-spirited approach that hints at German fairytales and helps establish the lively, light-hearted atmosphere that attracts not only guests, but also locals wishing to work, relax or meet others.

Why did you enter the SBID Awards?

The SBID International Design Awards celebrate imagination, talent and commitment to interior design excellence across many types of projects around the world. It’s an honour to have our creativity and passion recognised by a highly respected professional organisation, the impressive award judges and our colleagues in the global design community.

Questions answered by Corinna Kretschmar-Joehnk and Peter Joehnk, Co-managing Directors of JOI-Design

We hope you feel inspired by this week’s Hotel design! Let us know what inspired you #SBIDinspire

If you missed last week’s Project of the Week featuring fluid architectural curves with the V Line Cosmetic Center in Hong Kong, click here to see more.

SBID Awards 2019 | Hotel Public Space Design finalist sponsored by Viva Lagoon