Hospitality Design - March/April 2017 - 60

brand identity four seasons

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2. Hong Kong-based
AFSO crafted a modern
bamboo theater in the
dramatic three-story Kioku
restaurant inside the Four
Seasons Hotel Seoul.

Photo by BARBARA KRAFT

3. Reimagined by New
York's Meyer Davis Studio,
the Remedy Bar at the
Four Seasons Resort
and Residences Vail in
Colorado features a mix
of marble with walnut
wood and saddle leather
highlighted by industrial
metal accents.

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stimulation in "public areas that are buzzy
and connected to the community; a place that
encourages spontaneous social interaction, and
even if you're traveling alone, you feel comfortable
in a bar or restaurant or in a public space," she
explains. For instance, in the recent Houston
renovation, Meyer Davis Studio activated the
public areas by creating a coffee-cocktail bar
that extends through the lobby out to a sheltered
exterior space, "which was a struggle for us in
the configuration of that hotel, but we achieved
it with some out-of-the-box thinking," she says,
adding that the New York-based firm is one of
many innovative collaborators she is working

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March/April 2017 hospitalitydesign.com

Photo by DON RIDDLE

perspectives

4. Led by TAL Studio, the
Four Seasons Resort Lana'i
at Manele Bay reflects the
Hawaiian island aesthetic
with a palette of earth,
sand, and brush tones.

with to realize the brand's new vision.
An authentic sense of place is certainly
paramount. In the upcoming BAMO-designed São
Paulo property, for instance, an even more local
connection was the result of value engineering and
product restrictions. When the rooms ended up
being too expensive, a relook by the design team
resulted in dark woods, handcarved floors, white
plastered walls, wood louvers, oversized pieces of
art in a triptych over the bed for a "true São Paulo
room," says Kalczak. "It's the result of the geometry
of the space and furniture, and the deep dive into
the materials using local vendors since import
duties forced us to source locally."

Innovation Incubator

Four Seasons' dedication to rethinking now has
a home thanks to a new Research and Design
Studio in the brand's Toronto home office. "We've
always been doing this kind of work-analyzing
fabric and carpet samples, looking at tabletops and
uniforms," explains Kalczak. But now, instead
of working in a boardroom or various offices,
they can explore ideas in a raw, industrial space
wrapped in concrete and graffiti-clad walls.
(Because the Four Seasons headquarters houses
an expansive Canadian art collection, Kalczak
enlisted a local graffiti artist, a local sculptor for a
piece that hangs over the stair, and Sharp's wife
for one of her paintings.) "It's a blank canvas-a
casual space where you can play and make
mistakes and get glue on things."
There's a large media wall for immersive, less
formal presentations, furniture to try, a product
studio for staging, a cardboard room for build-outs,
space for concept mockups, a Lutron wall to play
with My Room controls, and a fully kitted-out
bar for taste testing. "The space not only makes
[the design process] so much easier, but we also
end up with a better product," Kalczak explains,
adding they have avoided many costly mistakes
by prototyping. "Plus, the interaction between
owners, asset managers, developers, designers,
and operators is so much richer. Space design can
make a difference to human behavior."
Here's a deeper dive into two new Four
Seasons hotels that showcase where the brand is
heading.
http://www.hospitalitydesign.com
Hospitality Design - March/April 2017

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