Boutique Design - September 2018 - 40

ERIK NISSEN JOHANSEN
STYLT TRAMPOLI

PROJECT PARTICIPANTS
THE GRAND POET HOTEL BY SEMARAH
CLIENT

Semarah Hotels
DESIGN FIRM

Stylt Trampoli: Erik Nissen Johansen,
founder and creative director; Andreas
Hagsjö, art director; Magnus Stenberg,
copywriter; Alexandra Lebell, senior lead
architect; Jenny Ahlbäck, architect; Madeline Johansson, senior interior designer;
Elisabeth Johansen, project manager
PURCHASING FIRM

Semara Hotel Purchasing Department

without the usual advantages of a standard one-and-done room bay. This
168-room property with more than 50 room layouts was anything but plugand-play. To create a residential feel in such unique floor plans, flexibility was
key. Instead of built-in casegoods, loose furniture, from tables, sofas and wardrobes, provided a solution that could be adapted throughout the different
room types without sacrificing style or functionality. If a couch looked too large
in one room, the team had the option of moving it to another in hopes of a
better fit. That limited both change orders and the need to rebuy FF&E.
Like most old buildings, this quintet had some plusses to offset the minuses.
At the top of the list were the mid-century architectural elements that play well
to a modern eye. But there were also some surprising finds: A number of old
stoves and warming ovens had been left behind. Some were repaired, while
others were repurposed as focal points that add a wry but warm residential
ambiance to the public spaces.
What results are spaces that balance the old and the new. Checkered,
pinstriped and parquet flooring options throughout eateries, lobby, bathrooms
and guestrooms present a hard-edged, formal vibe that is juxtaposed with
custom patterned and floral wallpaper throughout. Small touches like placing
floral throw pillows on traditional pin-striped sofas in the lobby subtly support
the design statement rather than shouting over it.
"We had to be a little over the top, but we also had to know where to stop. We
had to justify the design through our stories," Johansen says. Despite all the challenges, he says the end result is worth it. "When a hotel like this opens, you have
all the quirkiness and history built in. You could never achieve that otherwise."
DUAL-BRANDED DEVELOPMENT: EVEN HOTEL
SEATTLE SOUTH LAKE UNION/STAYBRIDGE SUITES
SOUTH LAKE UNION
With site and space constraints, building one hotel in an urban environment is
head-scratching enough. So, what happens when hoteliers decide they need
two to become one? Dual-branded hotels are becoming more popular as
40

boutiquedesign.com SEPTEMBER 2018

owners look to appeal to a wider variety of guests flocking to urban locations,
whether for business, leisure or bleisure. By pairing complementary flags,
multi-hotel campuses (and vertical developments) give even brand loyalists
another way to customize their experience-and still get their points. However,
this also means designers must work with two different sets of brand standards
while ensuring the spaces tie together visually.
Farley Hunter, principal of Atlanta-based F.A. Hunter & Associates, whose
firm designed the EVEN Hotel Seattle South Lake Union/Staybridge Suites
South Lake Union, notes that the project was developed on a sloping corner
site. That means the Staybridge guests enter on one corner on the lower level,
while those checking into EVEN enter from another corner to access that
hotel's lobby, which is one level above its sister property.
Once inside, the layout directs both brands' guests to shared elevator banks
that lead to the guestroom floors. Hunter says wayfinding signage, and a little
creativity in the room numbering were key to making the circulation pattern
work. All EVEN rooms are even numbers in the 100s, while Staybridge rooms
are assigned "addresses" in the 1000s.
Guests also come together in the fitness space, designed with EVEN's brand
standards, as well as a communal outdoor courtyard. Hunter says that,
because the building sits atop its own parking garage, its owners wanted to add
a natural counterpoint to the architecture. "They were adamant that outdoor
green space be integrated into the design," he says. "The courtyard of the
U-shaped building enabled us to make that a centerpiece."
Still, the brands also must have their own identities, and Hunter says InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) made a point to drive that idea home. For
instance, EVEN is known for its signature colors-orange, turquoise, forest
green and brown. Prominent in the branding for this wellness-oriented flag,
that palette plays out through public spaces and guestrooms. For instance, the
fitness center pops with orange accent walls; the lobby features a calming
turquoise on opposing walls and ceilings; and furniture is highlighted by orange
throw pillows against that same turquoise on chairs and benches.

ERIK NISSEN JOHANSEN ( THE GR AND POET RIGA HOTEL BY SEMAR AH)

2 The Grand Poet Hotel's
"diplohemian" design balances diplomatic touches
with bohemian flair.

http://www.boutiquedesign.com

Boutique Design - September 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Boutique Design - September 2018