Number 17
October 2021
The hotels architecture
The hotel industry was born in the second half of the 19th century and became fashionable at the turn of the century.
With the development of the railway network, Europe’s elites discovered the pleasure of staying in renowned locations: the seaside resorts of the Côte d’Azur and Normandy, the Italian lakes and the Swiss mountains. Cities of art also became increasingly popular destinations. As in the most famous films and novels, the collective imagination goes beyond the evocative “sliding doors” of hospitality.
Architecture is confronted with a new theme. No longer palaces and residential buildings, but large accommodation complexes: this was the beginning of hotels and luxury hotels. Functional requirements and high standards of service pushed designers to experiment with unusual typologies. The stylistic vocabulary became eclectic to satisfy the tastes of the clientele and promote the tourist image. Art Nouveau appeared alongside Neoclassicism, and picturesque alongside Modernism. Craftsmen and artists are mobilised to create atmospheres of pleasure and comfort.
Building materials and techniques also follow the times and fashions. Since a scenic value is required in the fittings, the traditional applications vary from time to time. Especially in interiors, where practicality of use merges with the image of comfort and novelty. The common areas – from the halls to the dining rooms, from the lounge bars to the terraces – dialogue with the private spaces through a continuity of furnishings and architectural character.
Nowadays, the hotel industry offers a wide range of solutions. Immaterial” technologies are combined with the values of the past, the charm of places coexists with the search for elegance. It is in this logic that Marmi Ghirardi applies its operating experience with results appreciated all over the world. From the Watergate Hotel in Washington D.C. to the Sheraton in Muscat (Oman), from the Emerald Hotel in Prishtina (Kosovo) to the St. Regis in Cairo, and then with the Kang Won Hotel (South Korea), the Grand Hyatt in Shanghai, the Radisson Blu Juba (South Sudan), the Four Seasons’ in Hampshire and the Ritz Carlton in Doha, Marmi Ghirardi, through the G1938 brand, confirms the excellence of Italian taste throughout the world. The quality of execution and the selection of stone materials become an unmistakable mark.
The Savoy Palace Hotel in Gardone Riviera adds an important page to Marmi Ghirardi’s catalogue of achievements. The grand hotel, inaugurated in 1906 and considered to be the most beautiful on Lake Garda, has returned to its splendour thanks to the recent renovation carried out by the Brescia company. It closes the circle of the centuries-old hôtellerie that has made Italy’s hospitality famous.
The latest achievement of Marmi Ghirardi/G1938, which will be officially opened in October 2021, is the Westin London City, a five-star hotel in the British capital (ABOUT MARBLE talks about it here).
Westin London City
An important new work in England for MARMI GHIRARDI / G1938. The company has been involved, in the city of London, in the QBH project that has transformed an existing building, located on one of the city’s main thoroughfares, into the five-star hotel “The Westin London City” that will open in October 2021.
Located on the banks of the iconic River Thames, the complex, designed to offer guests a moment of relaxation inspired by nature in the centre of a major city, comprises 222 bedrooms – including 29 suites – and 9 luxury residences.
MARMI GHIRARDI / G1938 contributed to the realization by delivering different marbles: Silver Shadow, Fior di Bosco, Tundra Blue, Nero Avola, Silk Georgette , Bianco Carrara , Bathstone Rock Finished and a Portuguese limestone. These materials were used in the finishing of the public areas of the hotel, in much of the external cladding and in some areas of the flats.
The hotel was built with the idea of combining the surrounding urban environment with the ethics of biophilic design to ensure the psychological well-being of the guests, a concept highlighted in the design of all the hotel’s rooms, which were studied down to the finest detail.
With this project, MARMI GHIRARDI / G1938 confirms and strengthens its presence in the UK market, adding a new and prestigious reference to its list of major projects in the city of London.
Location
The Westin London City Hotel,
London
Architectural design
Dexter Moren Associates,
London
Stone contractor
Ghirardi team
Italy
Materials
Silver Shadow
Fior di Bosco
Tundra Blue
Nero Avola
Silk Georgette
Bathstone rock finished
MarmoMac 2021
Marmomac 2021, one of the world’s most important trade fairs dedicated to natural stone industry, has just come to an end.
Contractors, developers, designers and architects were able to meet and exchange ideas and new perspectives.
We were present at the exhibition with our booth Marmi Ghirardi / G1938 and Stefano Ghirardi, CEO of the company, participated in several meetings including the panel discussion at Brand & Stone, where Tonino Lamborghini Casa presented a design table in Breccia Aurora Marina Blu made in collaboration with our company.
Other exhibitors included PNA (Pietra Naturale Autentica) as well as the newly created Botticino Stone District.
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