A NIGHT WITH CONRAN, THUN OR NOUVEL DESIGN HOTELS™ MADE BY STAR DESIGNERS

Contemporary opera houses, state-of-the-art concert halls and the iconic Apple stores – it’s hard not to be impressed by the work of star designers. To experience the vision and innovation of these masterminds in a smaller, more personal way, Design Hotels™ has members where their work can be experienced at close hand. SIDE Hotel, Hamburg, the Copperhill Mountain Lodge, Åre, The Park Bangalore and THE HOTEL in Lucerne boast designers known for their outstanding talent and one-of-a-kind hotels. From a 12-storey luminescent building in Hamburg to the modern interpretation of a classic ski lodge in Sweden – the four star designers Sir Terence Conran, Matteo Thun, Peter Bohlin and Jean Nouvel have created hotels which make design a real experience for travelers.

Conran, founder of Habitat, is one of the world´s leading designers and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth in 1983. Thun defines his work as “eco-non ego!” and was awarded the ‘Compasso d`Oro’ three times for his excellent design. The American architect Peter Bohlin is winner of the 2010 Gold Medal of the American Institute of Architects. And Pritzker Prize winner Jean Nouvel is France’s most famous present-day architect and a graduate of the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. What the four of them have in common is that their ideas are reflected in one-of-a-kind hotels from Sweden to India.

SIDE Hotel, Hamburg, Germany

Though only 12 stories high, SIDE Hotel in Hamburg evokes visions of a luminescent skyscraper thanks to its dramatic lighting by Robert Wilson and glass and steel architecture. Star designer Matteo Thun’s eighth-floor lounge softens the glass and steel façade of architect Jan Strömer and creates a warm and welcoming atmosphere. The idea of weightlessness is achieved with curved furniture and floating disk lighting along with a 360-degree view of the harbour city. The lounge invites guests to relax on orange and blue voluptuous Rossi di Albizzate lounge chairs and admire Thun’s work.
www.designhotels.com/side_hotel_hamburg

Copperhill Mountain Lodge, Åre, Sweden

With a ski-in/ski-out location on top of a mountain and the thrilling design of Peter Bohlin, the Copperhill Mountain Lodge is a gem in Sweden’s snowy mountains. Celebrated architect Bohlin, known for designing Bill Gates’ private residence and Apple’s iconic stores, has created a modern interpretation of a classic ski lodge. Called “the romantic modernist” Bohlin has used primarily natural and local materials such as 2,000 tons of local slate, pine, copper, stone and leather. In 2009 the hotel’s spa ‘Level Spa & Health Club’ was awarded the European Hotel Design Award for its use of rustic and natural materials, as well as its treatment rooms designed as Sami tepees.
www.designhotels.com/copperhill_mountain_lodge

The Park Bangalore, India

In the heart of the busy business district of Bangalore sits a hotel by British design icon Sir Terence Conran and his team. Together, they have created a 109 room hotel full of vibrant contrasts between traditional Indian elements and modern cosmopolitan design. The glass façade of the spacious lobby and polished marble floors highlight black columns of detailed Indian carved designs. The four floors use different colours to express the variety of experiences and cultures in India. The rooms feature a mixture of modern and traditional materials including silk, leather, oak wooden floors and glass. At the hotel’s iBAR original pink sandstone and carved timber screens combine to create a rich and enveloping atmosphere, whilst the award-winning i-tALIA restaurant features a masculine dark timber floor, charcoal black upholstery and warm lime green sofas to signalize a modern character.
http://www.designhotels.com/park_bangalore

THE HOTEL, Lucerne, Switzerland

THE HOTEL in Lucerne is not a “home away from home” but a place to be surprised and truly inspired. French star architect and Pritzker Prize winner Jean Nouvel has created a fascinating hotel, which merges the indoor and outdoor spaces. For instance, Nouvel`s restrained yet clever interplay of mirrors makes the tangible barrier between the pavement outside and the Gault-Millau awarded restaurant Bam Bou inside vanish in the eyes of the beholder. Perfecting the element of surprise, Nouvel selected film stills from his favourite movies to be placed onto all the rooms’ ceilings, making iconic scenes like one taken from Fellini´s Casanova come alive in the bedroom.
www.designhotels.com/the_hotel

source : DESIGN HOTELS™