Designers of the Future Award by W Hotels

15 Apr '11

5 min read

When W opened its first hotel in New York in 1998, it transformed the meaning of hotels and established itself as the clear leader in the contemporary lifestyle hotel space. W Hotel strives for cutting-edge, future-forward design, inspired by the location and executed through unique collaborations with upcoming and well-known creative talents. From the Ottoman-referenced glam of a jewel box of W Istanbul to the design inspired by the dual personality of the British man at the recently-opened W London - Leicester Square, each new W Hotel is guided by Starwood's in-house design team and is then fueled and delivered by a unique collaboration between designers, architects, graphic designers, photographers, stylists and W's Global Fashion and Music Directors.

W's global growth fosters opportunities for new design partnerships with established as well as upcoming designers. For W St. Petersburg, which will mark the debut of W Hotels in Russia when it opens this spring, W partnered with acclaimed architects and designers Antonio Citterio & Partners to blend contemporary style with Russia's elegant traditions. W's first hotel in Paris, W Paris - Opera debuts in early 2012 with interiors by Rockwell Group Europe (RGe). Diego Gronda, Managing and Creative Director of RGe, the Madrid satellite office of New York's Rockwell Group founded by David Rockwell, is leading the design, which takes its inspiration from Paris, the City of Light, combined with the energy of New York, where W was born resulting into a creative idea called “The Spark.”

These new hotels join W's already prestigious European and Middle Eastern portfolio, which includes W Istanbul by architect/designer Geomim and W Doha Hotel & Residences, which merges traditional Arabian imagery with W's signature contemporary cool, by London-based United Designers. W's European flagship and first hotel in Western Europe, W Barcelona, was designed by Ricardo Bofill and is already established as a modern-day landmark with its signature full-sail architectural shape.

Rounding out W's stellar design partner roster is Clodagh (W Fort Lauderdale); Tony Chi (W Santiago); Glamorous Corp. and g+a (W Hong Kong); Graft (W New York - Downtown); Yabu Pushelberg (W New York - Times Square renovation); Thom Filicia (W Atlanta – Buckhead and W San Diego and W Los Angeles - Westwood renovations); and Patricia Uriquola (W Retreat & Spa - Vieques Island).

W Hotels Worldwide

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