Hospitality Style - Winter 2012 - 56

/ / / Q+A

BY MARY SCOVIAK

GEORGE GOTTL
One of UXUS’s chief creative directors gives an insider’s look at the designer’s expanding role in brand creation.

/ / / In 2003, George Gottl left
his job as Nike’s creative director – apparel. Oliver Michell said goodbye to his design job at the Office of Metropolitan Architecture. Together with Erika Gottl, founder of Merus Wines, they set up their multidisciplinary design shop, UXUS (You x Us). From offices in Amsterdam and Napa, Calif., they fused their fashion and architectural methodologies into “brand poetry” (which they define as artistic solutions for commercial needs) for clients from H&M and Selfridges to Procter & Gamble and the Tate Modern. Now, they’re taking their brand design capabilities to the next level—both with projects like the concept for InterContinental Hotel Group’s (IHG’s) new wellness/health flag, EVEN Hotels, and plans to open additional offices in New York and the Middle East. Here, Gottl talks about what’s ahead for hospitality design and design firms. Q How did you start developing a branded visual identity for EVEN Hotels? A IHG had very clear research on their guests: the 17 million-strong (and growing) market of travelers committed to maintaining their health routines on the road. We built on that by exploring which new experiences would be appropriate for that customer and still bring some surprises into the guest journey. One thing that stood out was how little mid-market design feels crafted by a human being. There are so many prefabricated, sterile mid-tier hotel environments out there. The food is dispensed in plastic canisters; juices come from a soda dispenser; everything is plastic-wrapped. We wanted something more natural—the equivalent of the yummy but simple lunch your mom would make you. Our idea was to bring human interaction back into the hotel stay. So we called our design platform, “Human Touch.”

How did you do that given a three-star budget? Most of the development was in the form of details that, when combined, create the signature for the total brand experience. For example, guests are greeted by the scent of fresh rosemary displayed in pots hung on the entry wall. They see natural light from the skylights in the lounge and connect with natural materials, like the timber headboards in their rooms. We chose strong lines for the FF&E so that it could be simple yet evocative. How did you make it both adaptable enough for conversions and scalable worldwide? Like retail design, EVEN’s program has components that can adapt to the local site/setting. We used a lot of contrasting elements. Contrast is the key to making a space look new. It doesn’t really matter what the style, colors or materials are as long as the mix is right. So, it’s flexible. What are some other new concepts on your boards? We’re working on a number of airport restaurant projects, including seven restaurants for the new International LAX Tom Bradley terminal. For projects like these, we’re combining retail, bar and restaurant environments into one concept and, thereby, creating a 360-degree brand experience. We see this as a transit marketplace where travelers can choose which design/activity in this articulated landscape best suits their mood at that moment. How is your scope of work changing? UXUS is becoming more strategic. In the past, we designed spaces. Now, clients are asking us to create entire platforms for brand creation and building.

What are the next hot design trends? Making green/sustainable sexy and consumable. Giving emotion to an environmental feature is a win, win. Think Prius, but for hotels. Also, great narrative design. The story engages the customer and communicates the brand’s message. How do you get most of your commissions? Cold calls. Many of our potential clients are impressed by the brands we work for and the level of creativity in our portfolio. We’re fortunate that, from the beginning, our clients either encouraged or allowed us to be expressive. Where do you turn for inspiration when you hit the brick wall? Galleries. Oliver (Michell) and I love exploring the emotional connective reaction art produces and using that for design solutions. Where would you like to work that you haven’t? Japan. The culture is so refined and so tuned into high-level design. Who would be on your dream team of architects and designers? We have 40 heroes working for UXUS now. Why would we need to bring in anyone from the outside?
For the complete interview, visit www.hospitalitystyle.com

HOSPITALITYSTYLE.COM / WINTER 2012

DIM BALSEM, AMSTERDAM

Hospitality Style - Winter 2012

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