EditEd by Mat thEw hall Located in a major port city in northwest Germany, the new-build Steigenberger Hotel Bremen features interiors by JOI-Design that make a variety of visual references (some subtle, some not so much) to the nearby harbor. "Our concept for the hotel plays with the city's identity as a seafaring gateway to the world, a crossroad for trading in both historic and modern times," says JOI co-managing director Peter Joehnk. Some examples of that approach: the lobby's walls, which consist of unstained wooden grids and rough- 10 boutiquedesign.com december 2013 textured plaster; the ceiling linking the reception area and the hotel's Bar Palstek, which features backlit channels that mimic the meandering walkways in the nearby docks; a massive bundle of timber mooring posts in the bar; and bed headboards in the guest rooms that bear a map of the harbor. Those local references are counterbalanced by what JOI-Design describes as "smart minimalist chic" touches throughout the 137-key hotel, such as the lobby's curved brown sofas and bold red area rugs. COURtESy OF JOi-dESiGN NeW GermAN HOTeL HArbOrS LOcAL TOUcHeShttp://www.boutiquedesign.com