Acomodações
Temas, sonhos e esquemas.
As nossas reflexões sobre design, hotéis e hospitalidade e o quanto prazer nos dá partilhar com os nossos hóspedes a nossa visão pessoal de Berlim.
Projecto do hotel : Flexibilidade
Na prática da nossa arquitectura tentamos que os nossos edifícios sejam pensados e desenhados tendo em conta um conceito de flexibilidade. Para que isto seja possível, trabalhamos no sentido de refinar e purificar o "desenho" a diferentes níveis, uma arquitectura adaptável, variedade de plantas e uma tecnologia ajustável.
Projecto do Hotel: Construtores e Bancarrota
Construir, é por vezes como percorrer um campo minado, a qualquer momento algo inesperado pode "explodir". Quando uma companhia declara falência, as consequências são nefastas.
Enquanto estavamos a desenhar e a construir os minilofts a economia de Berlim estava em apuros, o que na prática significou para nós, relações menos felizes e quase a roçar o absurdo com construtores falidos.
Projecto do Hotel: Glazed crime thriller
Desenhar e projectar um edifício é uma coisa e construí-lo é outra completamente diferente. As nossas relações com construtores foram desde altamente produtivas até insanamente estressantes.
Em particular, o pesadelo com a empresa que se ocupou da fachada do nosso edifício abriu-nos os olhos para a realidade. Uma história digna da mais refinada literatura de cordel, sempre com novas e assustadoras surpresas à nossa espera.
Design of the hotel: Epitaph to a bad bank
Our primary interest was the design of the building, but to get it built we had to wade into the world of finance. Although the waters looked dark from the outset, they turned out to be far murkier than we expected!
This 'obituary' plumbs the depths of our ten year relationship with the HypoVereinsbank. It was rocky, dangerous, and emotionally draining, thank god it's finally over!
Design of the hotel: Old and new
The Miniloft building is a self confident hybrid of old and new. The physical layers of its history give it a richness that cannot be created from scratch.
This article outlines the fascinating history of the building, its scars of war and neglect during the communist regime, and how the new design transformed it into a unique place to spend the night.
Design of the hotel: Materials
Materials are a fundamental ingredient in our experience of architecture. They add a sensual dimension to our interaction with space, and underpin a building's identity.
While designing the minilofts we selected materials that would underscore and heighten the experience of our building. The materials emphasize the loft character, and at the same time create a cozy feeling of being at home.
Design of the hotel: Berlin politics
Berlin's fascinating and frustrating relationship to its unique history have had a large influence on urban design and architecture in Berlin.
Berlin has a very distinct relationship with its historical urban fabric. This relationship has evolved through several phases since the end of World War II – the evolution of design in this period could be compared to the phases of mourning for a dead family member. It has taken almost sixty years, but I think Berlin has finally recovered from its mourning.
Design of the hotel: The west façade
We designed the miniloft building to conduct a distinctive dialogue with its context. The building's shape, materials, and detailing were all designed with this context in mind, and play a critical role in the minilofts unique identity.
The miniloft's west façade which faces directly onto the the street, is where the hotel's predominant defining form is most visible and distinctive. The west façade is composed of three vertical bands. The first most northerly band is made of glass; the other two are clad in stainless steel. These bands are designed to reduce the number of materials and transitions to a minimum. Because of this careful detailing the bands become monolithic surfaces, which emphasize the purity of the building's form.
Design of the hotel: The south façade
The south façade is a unique design composed of alternating vertical stripes that help give the building its distinct identity, and create a feeling of largess. To achieve this we designed a set of custom details, and broke with conventions of façade design.