Hospitality Design - May 2014 - 96

perspectives

sketchbook

ritz-carlton abu dhabi,
grand canal
> For the largest Ritz-Carlton in the world-
complete with 378 guestrooms, 90 chalets,
a Venetian Village of for-sale units, seven
restaurants, a kid's club, fitness center, and
spa-owner Abu Dhabi National Hotels asked
for a design "of classical Italian elegance with
an inventive, modern interpretation," says
Kara Smith, president of Santa Barbara-based
sfa design, whose firm won the project after
participating in a competition. "We wanted
the grand design of this epic, new-build resort
village to stand as an emblematic mark of
Abu Dhabi's rapid rise in the world of highend hospitality as well as an unparalleled
attraction in the region."

She and the team infused the spaces with
the spirit of Venetian art and artisanship.
For instance, Murano glass plays a key role,
especially in the lobby: mosaic is hidden in
the marble flooring's Palladian pattern; a
glass-blown statue of a gondolier stands in
the fountain welcoming guests; the antique
mirror-fronted reception desk is backed by a
3D cast-stone architectural piece of a palazzo
façade encased in bottom bottle glass; and the
grand staircase features over-scaled orbs and
handpainted tiles. Guestrooms, meanwhile,
feature millwork and furniture inset with
blue glass panels and rosettes to "bring in the
element of water," says Smith.

crossings restaurant
> As an adaptive reuse of the historic
Edwards and Faw bank building in Pasadena,
California, Crossings Restaurant carries with
it the weight of its past. GeorgeArchitecture
and Tamara Kaye-Honey, creative director
and principal of House of Honey, chose to play
up the nostalgia of the century-old building by

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May 2014 hospitalitydesign.com

pulling in antique elements with a
modern twist.
Located in the small city within
Los Angeles County, the 3,700-squarefoot restaurant was a true local effort.
The architects GeorgeArchitecture and
subcontractors were based out of South

Pasadena, and House of Honey is located less
than a mile away, which created an "organic
and intimate process," Kaye-Honey says.
Crossings' design continues to pay homage
to its roots. The interior's original brick was
preserved and a warm, modern palette of dark
gray walls and ceilings connect the reclaimed
wood floors and bartops. Within the two-story
space, Kaye-Honey worked within the binary
of old and new, reinforced with "hidden,
special touches, such as a vintage chess set
atop a banquette and a host's stand fashioned
from an antique sewing machine," she says.
"Seemingly unimportant things group together
in large installations that suddenly feel
compelling and delightful."
Other small touches add to the space's
nostalgic and eccentric feel-such as the
antique leather briefcases with newspapers
from the 1940s in the bathroom and the
vintage typewriter displaying rotating chef's
recipes. Says Kaye-Honey: "Those are the kind
of details that people remember and notice."
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