Hospitality Design - December 2011 - 29

sketchbook

perspectives

outside the box
Of all the off-the-wall ideas at the Creators Project, a traveling installation event launched in 2010 to empower emerging and leading artists to push the boundaries of creative expression through technology, a standout at the most recent showing in Brooklyn, New York, was designed by a hospitality duo: Alejandra Lillo and Bryan Flaig of Los Angeles-based Undisclosable. The concept, a place where sound and design collide, called “A Physical Manifestation of ‘Ladies and Gentlemen We are Floating in Space,’” was conceived by acclaimed lm director Jonathan Glazer in collaboration with UK-based band Spiritualized. For it, Lillo and Flaig created a cathedral-like space, found after visitors enter through a series of layers. First, is the outermost skin, composed of an Aluminet fabric, which beckons passersby. The inner skins further attenuate sound and light to provide a blank canvas for them to be sculpted. Inside is where the idea truly comes to life. The dark space is illuminated by four trapezoidal shafts of light, each one forming a four-by-seven-foot rectangle on the oor and highlighting a different remixed stem of the Spiritualized track. Stepping in to the dark space, guests hear the remainder of the track, intermeshed with white noise that’s even more predominant at the perimeter of the space. Says the creators: “The architecture is a platform for the choreography of the light and sound installation, which is, in turn, a platform for the actions and emotions of the festival goers who occupied the space.”

viva italia
Timber Resorts’ Hotel Castello di Casole in Tuscany, Italy, set to open in April, has been a labor of love for the hotel company and Hilton Head Island, South Carolina-based J Banks Design: the 10th century castle turned 41room hotel took roughly seven years to restore. “Hotel Castello di Casole [set on a 4,200-acre private estate] is truly a country villa, unlike many of the villas in the Florence area, therefore, the craftsmanship needed to be more rustic and simple,” says Timber Resorts’ director of interior design Sandy Burden. Adds Joni Vanderslice, J Banks Design’s owner: “Some details and items have been brought in from the cities and the ner artisans. Much of the inspiration for the design came from countless visits throughout Tuscany to other castellos, villas, and casalis to understand the true evolution of Italian design. Everything in Italy evolves as a result of the local artisans and goods available and it was important to us that the design re ects this aesthetic.” The search for vendors and artisans stared in 2005, and “we are still nding new artisans, antique dealers, and suppliers,” Vanderslice says. For example, the entryway marble in the Castello is from marble yards in Northern Italy; Bar Visconti features handpainted ceiling panels; handblown Murano chandeliers from the Seguso family hang in the main villa lounge; and antique pieces—like the large tapestry at reception and the grand bookcase in the main villa lounge—found throughout are from an auction house in Florence.

nature calls
The Four Seasons Resort Nevis is an example of how something good can come from something bad. San Francisco-based BAMO was brought on in 2007 for minor renovations, but shortly after the model room review, Hurricane Omar struck. “The new owners of the hotel decided to view nature’s strike as an opportunity, not only restoring the property to its former grace but injecting something fresh and unexpected,” says Michael Booth, a principal of BAMO, which has a long relationship with Four Seasons. The goal of the $110 million redo: “Capture the essence of the island without relying too heavily on what had come before. In the newly renovated public areas, guestrooms, and suites, casual comfort, a contemporary aesthetic, and residential luxury come together,” he explains. The clean-lined spaces, especially the AfterGlow and SeaScape suites, are “refreshingly uncluttered,” taking cues from Nevis’ colonial architecture, while materials and colors evoke the resort’s picturesque setting on the Caribbean island: crisp white and sand hues offer a perfect backdrop for limed oak, limestone, handwrought metal, and glass; color www.hospitalitydesign.com

comes in the form of blue, green, and yellow hues found in rugs, pillows, and seating. To further the local feel, contemporary art by a local artist hangs in the Main House, while guestroom photography captures images taken around the island. “It’s enough to give a sense of place but not

so much that it becomes a cliché or ‘themed’ environment,” says senior designer Jessica Berry. “Four Seasons Nevis was built in 1991. Trying to make this luxury resort look and feel like it had always been there was a challenge.”

December 2011

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Photos by James Medcraft
http://www.hospitalitydesign.com
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Hospitality Design - December 2011
