NEWH - June 2009 - (Page 24)

design101 hotels No Place Like Home A residential solution for a Chicago hotel Photography by Craig Dugan of Hedrick Blessing Above: Asian-inspired artwork defines the reception desk at dana hotel and spa in Chicago. Opposite page, clockwise from top left: A massive custom bell hangs in a lobby staircase; tattoo imagery decorates the ceiling at Vertigo Sky Lounge; metal mesh screens surround the floating sushi bar; and the hotel’s wood-clad lobby bar. Challenge: Create an upscale hotel that provides an urban destination catering to discriminating guests seeking recognition, service, modern style, and sophisticated amenities in an unpretentious restrained setting within a small footprint. “A trendy, cutting-edge design where guests would be comfortable without being dressed in black,” says Andre Landon, principal of EDI Architecture, the Houston-based firm charged with designing the dana hotel and spa in Chicago. Solution: The design and architecture team conceived the lobby, bar, and restaurant ajasteak as a large home— one integrated space connected by stairs, ramps, and a glowing elevator. “We combined the space into a flowing event vertically so that the spaces are not strictly separated,” Landon says, adding that his firm had designed two other hotels for the client. “It appears less crowded. The full glazing also enhances the sensation of a larger space than there really is. The experience is vertical; interaction between spaces is encouraged.” Interior finishes and the nature-inspired color palette with bursts of hot and soothing colors are direct and not self-conscious. “In contrast to the interior architecture, fabrics with bright strong colors are used in limited quantities to allow the materials to make the special statement,” Landon says. “There’s an unusual use of materials, we exaggerated their tactile nature—a garden of textures. Woods are expressed in different forms and shapes.” For instance, a textured wood wall does double duty, linking the two levels and acting as the second façade through the glass exterior, while a variety of screens (metal mesh screens and stained wood dowels define the floating sushi bar and private dining areas, respectively) give some separation of space, yet still allow for visual connection between the spaces. And the blurring of boundaries continues upstairs in the 216 guestrooms where oversized showers are open to the bedrooms and floor-to-ceiling windows enhance the nearly 10-foot tall ceilings. But the real showstopper is rooftop bar Vertigo Sky Lounge. Housed on the 26th floor, it features floor-toceiling windows boasting 270-degree views of the city, reclaimed rubber flooring, tattoo imagery, an open rooftop terrace complete with large-scale moon globe lighting and firepit, and a unisex bathroom with a chalkboard so guests can leave notes for their friends or dates. Another conversation starter? Cushions and pillows can be attached to the walls via Velcro. “It’s a new twist on throw pillows,” Landon says. “The seating was planned informally to encourage interaction among patrons.” > 24 june 2009 www.newh.org tel 800.593.NEWH http://www.newh.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NEWH - June 2009

NEWH - June 2009
Contents
News
Have you Seen?
Product Know-How: Lighting
Design 101
On the Scene
Sustainability: POV
Sustainability: Green Award
Sustainability: Competition
Cover Story: Magic Carpet Ride
Project: TD Banknorth Garden
Project: Ajax and Sneaky’s
New Members
Save the Date
Partner Profiles

NEWH - June 2009