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Showing posts with label boutique hotel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label boutique hotel. Show all posts

The Ufogel Is A Cool and Cozy Rentable Refuge in Austria.




Designed by architect Peter Jungmann, The Ufogel (a combination of the words 'UFO' and 'Vogel' which means bird in German), is an extraordinary and comfortably appointed house made almost entirely of larch wood available for rent all year round in the East Tyrolian village Nussdorf - the southwestern part of Austria known as Tyrol (or Tirol).

Malaysia's Hottest New Hotel Is A Transformed Colonial Filled With Art and Whimsy: The Macalister Mansion.




This new 4,800 square meter hotel in Panang, Malaysia was just completed last year and has already garnered numerous awards from the most prestigious hotel and travel organizations. It is housed in a 100 year old historic mansion that has been adapted into a modern and hip, but luxurious dining room, living room, den, cellar (bar), lawn area, mosaic pool and 8 separate rooms complete with private baths.



The name Macalister Mansion honors Panang's British Governor Colonel Norman Macalister and there are numerous references to him in a host of specially commissioned art pieces found in and on the grounds of the mansion.



Designed and branded as a lifestyle oriented 'residence', the Macalister Mansion and the five F&B (food and beverage) and Hotel entities (rooms) that comprise it have been conceived as a single holistic vision by the Ministry of Design based in Singapore.




Led by its Design Director Colin Seah, the design differentiates itself from the local boutique hotel scene by its intimate scale, contemporary design and attention to details - design ranging from art curation to uniforms, branding to interior design and everything else in between.

Wall sketches in the livingroom, art in the bedrooms and whimsical animal sculptures permeate the hotel:




Set against the backdrop of a conserved mansion, the heritage spaces have been carefully adapted and key features conserved and infused with contemporary design, allowing the project to strike a balance between the nostalgia of the past and a vision of relevance for the future.



When Colin was first approached by the client Dato' Sean to conceive of a lifestyle based offering which would enliven the hotel and dining scene in Penang, it was readily agreed that the new offering in the restored colonial mansion would stem from a holistic vision, with the 8 rooms and the 5 F&Bs (formal diningroom, casual dining, the den, the cellar and the outdoor bar) forming a holistic brand with a distinctive positioning.






The design process spanned an 8 month period from February to September 2011, with Colin and Dato' Sean working collaboratively to produce a design for a stunning set of distinct entities offering sophistication in a singular package.

In the 12 months of construction that followed, there were multiple meetings held to discuss the major infrastructural work required to restore a colonial mansion, e.g. retaining and reinforcing original columns, staircases and archways, removing plaster to reveal the original brick walls and wall cornices, and repairing and soundproofing original windows for contemporary hospitality use. As an extension of the grounds, Colin and his team also masterplanned an event lawn where large-scaled parties can be hosted. Beside the lawn is a mosaic lap pool with a feature sunken 'swim-up' pool bar at one end. Guests of the hotel also enjoy additional gym, computer lounge and library.




The oversized sculptural bust of Macalister encapsulates the spirit of Macalister Mansion - the meeting of heritage and contemporary design. The 2.5m bust is the first art piece to greet you as you approach the mansion from along the hedge lined driveway.



It draws inspiration from traditional portrait busts of important figures but instead of the typical life-like features, Macalister's features are modernised by rendering them as sharp edged fractal lines - as if sculptured by computer aided design. The piece is constructed in fiberglass and spray painted a high gloss white finish.



The dining room of Macalister Mansion is conceived as a whimsical experience where the diner enjoys the formality of fine dining that is imbued with a contrasting fairy tale-like quality - pastel coloured deer graze around a tree while squirrels and birds perch on its branches. The pink, blue and yellow animals complement the all white dining room and are constructed from fiberglass and finished in high gloss paint.



The 8 rooms blend a minimal but comfortable contemporary style with beautiful Bisazza tiled bathrooms, light woods, unusual art and modern fixtures.



In this room the sonnet below is enlarged and embossed as art above the bed:


Another room features a modern chrome and wood post bed with built-ins:


This room has a large tiled bath separated from the sleeping area by the partial glass shower wall and a terrace that overlooks the pool:




One of the rooms has a spiral staircase and wire wall art of Macalister:





And yes, they offer a room with double beds:


A narrower room features an enormous bathroom opposite the bed:



And this room has both a glass wall separating the bathroom from the bedrooom and a partitioned seating area




and the last of the eight rooms:


So, if you've been planning a trip to Malaysia, consider the Macalister Mansion.

Macalister Mansion
228 Jalan Macalister, Penang, 10400 Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia
Phone:+60 4-228 3888

The Helvetica Hotel, From Soap To Signage - And A Little History.




For an independent study, Jung Hwan (Albert) Son, a senior communication design student at Parsons the New School for Design, decided to create and brand a hip and trendy hotel - inspired by the Helvetica font. Below are the elements he designed for his concept of the Helvetica Hotel.


Room keys, signage, wall clocks and stationary:






Toiletries, hangers and minibar items:









The clean sans serif font has been a favorite of designers since its inception, used for many recognizable logos and even inspiring a full length film.



History of Helvetica:
The Helvetica font was developed by Max Miedinger with Edüard Hoffmann in 1957 for the Haas Type Foundry in Münchenstein, Switzerland and quickly became an international hit in the graphic arts world. With its clean, smooth lines, it reflected a modern look that many designers were seeking. At a time when many European countries were recovering from the ravages of war, Helvetica presented a way to express newness and modernity.



“First learn a proper trade.” These were the words with which Max Miedinger’s father put an end to the debate on the future career of his 16-year-old son, who longed to become a painter. Instead, in the autumn of 1926, Miedinger junior began an apprenticeship as a type setter with the Zurich printing company Jacques Bollmann. Four years later, he knew for certain: “I want to be a designer, not spend the rest of my life fiddling with columns of type in galleys”. Evening classes with Johann Kohlmann at the Zurich School of Arts and Crafts confirmed his interest. Finally, in 1936, Max Miedinger was able to put his talent to professional use – as a typographer in the advertising studio of the Globus department store chain. There, over the ten years that followed, he created posters, newspaper advertisements, the corporate lettering and printing for in-house use.


above: just some of the brands that use Helvetica for their corporate identity (image courtesy of typophile.com)

Once Helvetica caught on, the typeface began to be used extensively in signage, in package labeling, in poster art, in advertising—in short, everywhere. Innumerable corporate logos such as those of Lufthansa, Bayer, Hoechst, Deutsche Bahn, BASF and BMW use the font. Inclusion of the font in home computer systems, such as the Apple Macintosh in 1984, only further cemented its ubiquity.


above: the poster for Gary Hustwit's documentary about Helvetica.

In his own words, designer Albert Son says "Essential theme of the branding is based on the visual attributes of the typeface, which is neutral, clean, simple. As it is most beautiful when it is by itself, focus of the overall branding was on keeping everything simple and clean in terms of typography as well as use of colors. While reinterpreting essential hotel products in 'Helvetica' way, the brand also introduces bunch of unconventional items in a range of categories."

Albert Son on Behance

Books, DVDs and other Helvetica related items:







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