AVS. Arkitektúr verktækni skipulag - 01.03.2003, Síða 21

Discernment Replaces Traditional
Hotel
Accommodation!
Since hotels were first designed,
much advancement has been
made from standardised systems in
accommodating guests. Today,
hotels are designed for the specific
needs of target groups and visitors’
lifestyle. One such example, 101
Hotel, is to be found in Reykjavík’s
101 central postal code.
Designer Ingibjörg Pálmadóttir
found the perfect location in a
building designed by Þórir
Baldvinsson. There, Pálmadóttir let
her creative energy loose and
designed world-class lodgings for a
boutique hotel, from the plumbing
to the courtyard walls where the
building was erected in 1936.
Emphasis was put on retaining the
original style of the building while
renovating the entire interior. The
needs of the modern visitor took
precedence, with access to a com-
fortable environment, workspace,
meeting spaces, privacy and serv-
ice. All possible needs were
analysed and taken into account
during the design of the hotel, from
plumbing material to sound insula-
tion.
The hotel is an accepted member
of a consortium of independent
international boutique hotels,
Design Hotels, Inc. (www.designho-
tels.com), an international hotel
marketing and booking system.
Coordinated by Lebensart Global
Networks AG (www.lebensart-
ag.com), the company declares its
aim of service on their websites:
“An increasing number of hoteliers
are discovering an aesthetic far
removed from displaced spruce
trees and artistically folded sen/i-
ettes. Good architecture and
design have become hard factors
in positioning the hotels on the
market and defining their charisma.
Each of the hotels presented has
its own unique identity. Alongside
outstanding architecture and interi-
or design that is consciously har-
monised with its surrounding loca-
tion and culture, these hotels
stand out due to their top service,
which is often blended with extraor-
dinarily good and creative cuisine.” ■
Photos, Sóla
19