september 2018 volume 14 | issue 7 38 26 desIGn dIsrUptOrs part I: strOnG Hand | 24 Ace Hotel Group made its mark by shaking up the expected version of what a hotel could look like and how it could feel. As it approaches its 20th birthday, the company readies itself to launch two new flags, sister City and maison de la luz, that bring the same iconoclastic thinking to a broader sector reach. What they share? A common purpose: offering guests a retreat from the hectic pace of life in the post-post-grunge era. departments FROM THE EDITOR | 4 IN THIS ISSUE | 6 CHECK OUT BOUTIQUEDESIGN.COM | 8 THE BUZZ | 10 desIGn dIsrUptOrs part II: mULtI-HYpHenate | 26 DESIGN DECONSTRUCTED | 22 lark Hotels' leadership team juggles a stack of hats across every aspect of the business, from design to development, management and ownership. Find out how that's enabling them to grow at high velocity and rewrite the stylebook for boutique properties. PRODUCTS: SEATING | 60 PRODUCTS: ARCHITECTURAL MATERIALS | 70 EXIT INTERVIEW | 80 seCOnd sIte | 32 What happens when two restaurants are renovated into one fiery food spot? Find out in the behind-the-scenes story of Ko¯jin, DesignAgency's latest collaboration with momofuku. sample some groundbreaking strategies for heating up new-concept design. CItY CentrIsts | 38 the Grand poet Hotel riga by semarah and the eveN Hotel/staybridge suites seattle south lake union are poster children for a new approach to urban (re)development. Convert five awkwardly-connected buildings into a design-led business hotel in a stuffy neighborhood? sure. take a chance on a wellness brand/extended stay combo? of course. LOCaL LeXICOn | 44 Hotel Freigeist Göttingen freely mixes Jean-paul basquiat-inspired art, sleek Nordic furnishings and Asian accents to craft a landing pad for creatives in this historic center of learning. HanG tIme | 54 play (and work and eat) nice, now. shared spaces aren't just a thing in offices. Hoteliers Hilton and the student Hotel offer next-gen lessons in creating venues for business and leisure interaction. 2 boutiquedesign.com september 2018 on the cover URBANE PLANNERS Erik Nissen Johansen Stylt Trampoli Photo: Oscar Mattsonhttp://www.BOUTIQUEDESIGN.COM http://www.boutiquedesign.com