As an extension to an existing company building, destilat is developing the interior for the public areas of a boutique hotel in Geneva - the metropolis that has made a name for itself as the stronghold of the diamond trade and the art of Swiss watchmaking.
The pavilion-like structure welcomes the visitor with a forecourt that is at rest in itself and leads to the recessed entrance. The design accent amidst the angular exposed concrete and glass structure is a double circular shape that creates space for a tree planting as a planting area and canopy cutout above it. The design moment also allows for philosophical readings - about a building culture that is to be understood in harmony with nature; as well as of a natural force that is basically always able to overcome the man-made out of its nature.
This "play of forces" of organic and constructive elements also characterizes the interior design of destilat's hotel architecture. Instead of a formal reception desk, the interior designers stack three elongated monoliths on top of each other like simple building blocks made of wood and concrete to form an object-like reception desk. While the wall cutout behind it offers a view of the exotic planting, a relaxed lounge group spreads out on the round carpet in front of it. Reduced in color and bathed in soft natural tones, the materials score points with their different textures: softly flowing and cuddly textiles from curtains and upholstered furniture meet smooth glass, warm wood elements and raw exposed concrete, while the vegetative repeatedly breaks the precise forms of the architecture. The interior is characterized by an immense nonchalance, a generous expanse and a brutalist material aesthetic that, together with the exotic planting, is reminiscent of models of modern Brazilian architecture.
Status: Unbuilt
Location: Geneva, CH
Firm Role: Interior Designers
