Boutique Design - Winter 2020 - 26

GOLD KEY GUESTROOM FOCUSED SERVICE

WINNER

MOX Y EAST VILL AGE
N E W YO R K

The Highlights: It's New York, so maximization and
flexibility are key design plusses of any guestroom
in the city. At the 286-room Moxy East Village,
creative solutions reign, such as the canopy beds
with embedded television and clever storage space.
Industrial-style windows let in an abundance
of natural light, and custom glass dividing walls
spraypainted with graffiti tags and stencils of NYC
landmarks showcase some grit.
Further still, the design embraces the unique
character of its iconoclastic neighborhood. Rockwell
Group aimed to capture the spirit of the East Village,
allowing guests to uncover its many historical threads.
Interiors are based on a kind of urban archaeology,
with the hotel's 13 floors loosely conceived as homages
to different eras in the East Village's past and present,
as well as a projection of its future.

SOURCES:
D E S I G N F I R M : R O C K W E L L G R O U P, N E W Y O R K ; A R C H I T E C T U R E
F I R M : S T O N E H I L L T AY L O R , N E W Y O R K ; C L I E N T : L I G H T S T O N E ,
N E W YO R K ; P U R C H A S I N G F I R M : H P G I N T E R N AT I O N A L , WA L N U T
CREEK, CALIFORNIA; PHOTO: MICHAEL KLEINBERG

FINALIST

WHITE SANDS HOTEL
H O N O LU LU, H AWA I I

SOURCES:
D E S I G N F I R M : T H E VA N G U A R D
T H E O R Y, H O N O L U L U ;
ARCHITECTURE FIRM:
WORKSHOP-HI, HONOLULU;
CLIENT: WHITE SANDS OWNER
LLC, HONOLULU; PURCHASING
F I R M : S U M M A I N T E R N AT I O N A L ,
HONOLULU; PHOTO: MARK
KUSHIMI

FINALIST
MEEHOTEL

SHENZHEN, CHINA

SOURCES:
D E S I G N F I R M : PA N O R A M A D E S I G N
G R O U P, H O N G K O N G ; C L I E N T A N D
PURCHASING FIRM: SHENZHEN
M E E H O T E L M A N A G E M E N T C O . , LT D . ,
SHENZHEN, CHINA; PH OTO :;G D
MEDIA/POPO VISION

26

WINTER 2020

The Highlights: Bamboo is naturally where
the design narrative starts at this businesstraveler-targeted property situated in a
location so aptly called the " Bamboo Forest. "
The material is carried throughout the hotel
all the way into the guestrooms, where
bamboo and rattan are applied in all the
headboards in the same patterns as those
found in the lobby-but here, they showcase
different widths and thickness. Doubleheight central courtyards are introduced at
every two guestroom floors, adding another
layer of wonder.

The Highlights: Here's the scene: Originally built
in 1957, designed by a local architect named
Edwin Bauer, three modest walk-up buildings
surround a coffin-shaped pool framed by tall
kukui and coconut trees. The 93 guestrooms
were designed with small kitchens, and the pool
courtyard became the social living space for all its
guests. Fast forward to present day, and surprises
ensue when renovating old buildings subject to
the previous owners' undocumented repairs. The
Vanguard Theory team managed to aggregate
the buildings into 32 different guestroom layouts.
The shoji screens, one of Bauer's signature design
elements, were beyond repair. To respect his
vision, the team designed statement-making
headboards inspired by Byobu, or Japanese
folding screens.
Boutique Design - Winter 2020

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