Toby Maxwell’s Hotel Focus Q&As


Dustin Wekesser, associate principle at CallisonRTKL on its scheme for the Grand Hyatt hotel in Kuwait, and Tim Rooney, project manager and principle at Jeffrey Beers International on partnering with the Hard Rock brand.


Words by Toby Maxwell

AS GLOBAL travel continues its post-pandemic bounceback, expectations of what the hotel experience should be have evolved considerably in a short space of time. Functionality and comfort remain key considerations of course, but wellness, sustainability, and the overall experience have all become vital ingredients in putting together an effective recipe for success.

Showcasing some new examples of this bold, holistic vision of hospitality’s future direction, we take a look at a London super-suite that is as much about natural references as it is luxury, a hotel in China that seamlessly incorporates the beauty of bamboo, and a New York paean to music that harnesses the strength of a famous brand to create a place to stay that strikes just the right note.

Each project aims to set the bar in delivering high-end guest appeal through creativity and innovative design ideas that go way beyond ticking the traditional boxes.

Q&A Dustin Wekesser, associate principal at CallisonRTKL

Dustin Wekesser, associate principal at CallisonRTKL, gives the inside perspective on a bold hotel scheme for the Grand Hyatt hotel brand in Kuwait. One of Kuwait’s most anticipated hospitality developments in recent years, the Grand Hyatt Kuwait has begun the countdown to its official opening later this year. Th e property marks a major milestone for both Hyatt Hotels Corporation and Kuwait-based owners, Tamdeen Group, and has already made a mark for itself as a new architectural landmark.

Distinctive in its design and grand aesthetic, the hotel seeks to position itself as an urban sanctuary within a larger destination that has a unique story to tell. Th e 302-room luxury urban escape has a bold and striking architectural design, delivered by architecture firm CallisonRTKL. We spoke to hotel designer Dustin Wekesser, associate principal at CRTKL, about the inspiration and motivation behind the project.

Please tell us a little about the Grand Hyatt Kuwait project; what was the initial brief and how did you go about addressing this?

The hotel’s exterior design complements the curvilinear design aesthetic of the adjoining 360 Mall. Image Credit: HUFTON+CROWThe hotel’s exterior design complements the curvilinear design aesthetic of the adjoining 360 Mall. Image Credit: HUFTON+CROW

The hotel’s design was conceptualised to seamlessly integrate into the context of the surroundings, complementing the established architectural lines, visually and functionally, while still making a distinct architectural statement all on its own. As the tallest building in the area, the nine guestroom floors off er truly unobstructed views from every angle.

One of the property’s most distinguishing design features is its curved design, conceived and executed in lieu of a traditional rectangular outline to allow for a more natural and harmonising integration into the existing architectural landscape. Th e hotel’s exterior design complements the curvilinear design aesthetic of the 360 Mall extension with a series of layers that splay out with unique characteristics. These multiple design features focus on achieving an environmentally responsive building – inspired by and adapted for the local climate and culture. From the initial kick-off, our client Tamdeen was keen on creative thinking and how it drives high-performance design. They fully supported and encouraged the architecture team to explore unique solutions to the complex challenges associated with this project. The primary design directive for the Grand Hyatt was to design a hotel that blended into the architectural fabric of the surroundings and their entire 360 Mall development, while still giving the hotel its own distinct identity.

The design needed to visually link to the rest of the expansion project internally and externally and provide a seamless guest experience between all the internal programmes. While the hotel was its own building, it was necessary for it to feel intertwined with the rest of the entire development.

Spa skylight at the Grand Hyatt Hotel located at the 360 Mall in Kuwait CitySpa skylight at the Grand Hyatt Hotel located at the 360 Mall in Kuwait City

The project seems particularly complex in terms of layout and detail. How did you set about the task of bringing together such a wide range of elements to create a cohesive guest environment?

The most challenging aspect for the hotel was that it was not a standalone building; rather, it connects fully to the 360 Mall expansion. The nuance of planning the entire development to appear perfectly seamless from the guest perspective, yet completely disparate for operations and structural needs, took considerable time and coordination. We rigorously choreographed arrivals and connections with two-level connections for guests arriving by cars and multiple direct guest connections to the mall and performance arena, in addition to providing access to back-of-house parking, loading dock, staff entries, and mechanical spaces. Th ese connections required planning to ensure that they worked operationally and adhered to local building codes for independent egress and fi re protection. It was no small task, but the time spent carefully planning circulatory paths were significant to optimising the guest experience.

The most noticeable design feature, which has become synonymous with the hotel, is the pattern on the exterior and interior screens. Initially incorporated as an external shading device, the screens design evolved to be much more than simply reducing the solar heat gain from large swaths of glazing. The team studied the percentage of openings and module scales and developed a gradient pattern that transitions from entirely opaque at the screen’s top to 75% open at eye level. This design provides adequate shade on the glass, while maintaining guest views from the interior and light filtration throughout all the public spaces. The parametric pattern was utilised in various ways across the exterior, maintaining a consistent design aesthetic, while providing a necessary purpose, combating the intense summer heat in the region.

The design brief was to construct a hotel that would not only complement the mall next-door, but would also adapt to the local climate and culture. Image Credit: HUFTON+CROWThe design brief was to construct a hotel that would not only complement the mall next-door, but would also adapt to the local climate and culture. Image Credit: HUFTON+CROW

What were some of the key design devices used to give the hotel a sense of place or location, as well as to differentiate it from other local options that potential guests could choose from?

The most notable advantage to the Grand Hyatt is its direct connection to the 360 Mall, a destination which has become an established local icon, entirely unique to Kuwait. The space planning provides multiple connections between the mall and hotel, allowing the hotel guests to feel connected to the 360 development and the interior gardens.

To connect locally with the region, the hotel exterior was designed with extensive use of custom geometric patterns, reflecting a modern version of mashrabiya. The interior design, by Meyer Davis, focused on continuing these unique patterns on the interior as well as using oversized Kuwaiti art as feature elements in all the public spaces.

Meanwhile, we created independent identity for the Grand Hyatt with new materials, textures, and elements. To link the projects, portions of the Sunny Egyptian stone on the mall’s exterior overlap the hotel at the base to blur the transition between the buildings. To distinguish the hotel, we selected various contrasting Italian marbles that provided a more refined elegance – a white Grey Su adorns the tower, a soft grey Cardoso for the podium and pure white Calcutta Oro, with heavy grey veining, for the arrival and hotel entry points. The white GRP fins and screens then complemented these monochromatic stones on the exterior, allowing the play of light and shadow to accentuate the building further.

In keeping with local character, the hotel exterior was designed with geometric shapes with a nod to the mashrabiya design motif common in the Arab and Islamic world. This was nevertheless complemented by more modern design aesthetics and centrepieces. Image Credit: HUFTON+CROWIn keeping with local character, the hotel exterior was designed with geometric shapes with a nod to the mashrabiya design motif common in the Arab and Islamic world. This was nevertheless complemented by more modern design aesthetics and centrepieces. Image Credit: HUFTON+CROW

Detail-wise, we designed a fully custom screen utilising Geolam wood. We developed a unique application of their product to shade the exterior terraces using a product capable of withstanding sand and intense heat. At the entrances, we designed a pattern inspired by our screen design that was CNCed into the Calcutta Oro stone and used as a gateway to the hotel at each access point. Small accents were used throughout by designing custom-lighted bollards and stone extrusions, further highlighting the project at night with our lighting design.

In keeping with local character, the hotel exterior was designed with geometric shapes with a nod to the mashrabiya design motif common in the Arab and Islamic world. This was nevertheless complemented by more modern design aesthetics and centrepieces. Image Credit: HUFTON+CROWIn keeping with local character, the hotel exterior was designed with geometric shapes with a nod to the mashrabiya design motif common in the Arab and Islamic world. This was nevertheless complemented by more modern design aesthetics and centrepieces. Image Credit: HUFTON+CROW

How does the creative process typically work between you and your hotel clients? Has this client/design relationship become more collaborative over the years? While every client is different, some stand out more than others. From day one, Tamdeen has been exceptional and thoroughly involved in every aspect of the design. We worked together to establish the overall goals for the hotel and then openly discussed the design solutions and ways to further enhance them. Each presentation was quite lengthy as we would present our design and then openly debate ways to improve it or how to better connect with other aspects of the project. There were honest conversations where we all agreed that the best idea would win.

In keeping with local character, the hotel exterior was designed with geometric shapes with a nod to the mashrabiya design motif common in the Arab and Islamic world. This was nevertheless complemented by more modern design aesthetics and centrepieces. Image Credit: HUFTON+CROWIn keeping with local character, the hotel exterior was designed with geometric shapes with a nod to the mashrabiya design motif common in the Arab and Islamic world. This was nevertheless complemented by more modern design aesthetics and centrepieces. Image Credit: HUFTON+CROW

Throughout the entire project, Tamdeen has supported our design process and trusted us to maintain the design quality. Together, we achieved something great.

What are some key factors in creating spaces that move beyond being functional to become more ‘experiential’?

There are a number of different components to the 360 Mall expansion, and as the designers, we had to ensure that the complexities of what we were creating did not become confusing. For example, the client wanted the hotel and mall to flow together and wanted there to be a strong relationship between the two podium levels.

To enhance this idea and the flow of circulation, we worked with the interior designers to extend the stone found in the mall through the hotel. The stone wall and patterns flow through the hotel and curve to the upper level where they extend back into the mall, reconnecting with the same materials. While this may seem subtle, from a guest experience, the visual transition between the spaces is more gradual, making the hotel feel a part of the mall and the mall feel a part of the hotel.

callisonrtkl.com


Q&A Tim Rooney, project manager and principal at architecture and design studio Jeffrey Beers International

Tim Rooney, project manager and principal at Jeff rey Beers International, on partnering with the iconic Hard Rock brand to shape a distinctive music-inspired hotel in the middle of bustling New York.

Please tell us about some of the core design considerations from the initial brief and how you began the process of building the narrative for the scheme.

The history of music in New York, and specifically the rich history of ‘Music Row’ which filled this same section of 48th Street for decades, played an instrumental role in influencing the design of this hotel. Every space needed to evoke the glamour and depth of the music scene in New York. Every major musician in the world has played here and contributed to the musical history of New York and that legacy continues to this day. The design of this hotel needed to tell that story.

Larger scale projects tend to want to exude excitement and energy, and this is reflected by how the design keeps how guests move through the hotel firmly in mind, while keeping the heart and soul of what makes the Hard Rock brand what it is. Image Credit: CHRIS SANDERSLarger scale projects tend to want to exude excitement and energy, and this is reflected by how the design keeps how guests move through the hotel firmly in mind, while keeping the heart and soul of what makes the Hard Rock brand what it is. Image Credit: CHRIS SANDERS

What are the challenges or constraints in creating a hotel for such a strong and well-established brand while simultaneously trying to implement a unique and fresh interior environment that wasn’t just replicating what had gone before?

An established brand like Hard Rock has such a rich history and sets such a high level of expectation with guests that the biggest challenge as a designer is to ensure that you not only live up to those expectations, but exceed them. Especially when designing an urban hotel in the centre of Times Square in the most glamorous city in the world, the design of the Hard Rock Hotel New York needed to take those expectations to the next level.

Larger scale projects tend to want to exude excitement and energy, and this is reflected by how the design keeps how guests move through the hotel firmly in mind, while keeping the heart and soul of what makes the Hard Rock brand what it is. Image Credit: CHRIS SANDERSLarger scale projects tend to want to exude excitement and energy, and this is reflected by how the design keeps how guests move through the hotel firmly in mind, while keeping the heart and soul of what makes the Hard Rock brand what it is. Image Credit: CHRIS SANDERS

The design features a very rich material palette. Please tell us a little about the selection process that took place.

The design of the entry, lobby and lounge is designed as if carved from the inside of a guitar or string instrument. Th e warm woods, shimmering metal and tensioned metallic strings are all derived from the design of these string instruments.

The rich marble floors are inlayed with metal and contrasting stone in a pattern representing sound waves emanating from the centre of the centrepiece sculpture and lounge space. Faceted wood wall panels surrounding the second floor lobby lounge, framing more amazing memorabilia, evokes the feeling of acoustical panels in a luxurious music hall.

How does the creative process typically work between you and your hotel clients? Has this client/design relationship become more collaborative over the years?

We were given a lot of design freedom by Hard Rock. Th e only directives were to create an elevated and elegant experience that exudes the heart and soul of what Hard Rock is.

Larger scale projects tend to want to exude excitement and energy, and this is reflected by how the design keeps how guests move through the hotel firmly in mind, while keeping the heart and soul of what makes the Hard Rock brand what it is. Image Credit: CHRIS SANDERSLarger scale projects tend to want to exude excitement and energy, and this is reflected by how the design keeps how guests move through the hotel firmly in mind, while keeping the heart and soul of what makes the Hard Rock brand what it is. Image Credit: CHRIS SANDERS

More generally, what are some of the key factors in creating spaces that move beyond being purely functional to become more ‘experiential’ for the user?

When designing large scale projects like the Hard Rock Hotel New York we pay close attention to how guests flow through the spaces and how this constant flow of movement can be controlled to still create intimate and inviting spaces to relax and linger. Boutique hotels generally want to create a more residential feeling while these larger scale projects want to create excitement and energy.

jeff reybeers.com








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