25th October 2018 | IN HOTEL DESIGN | BY SBID ShareTweetPinterestLinkedInThis week’s instalment of the #SBIDinspire interior design series features an innovative hotel design which strives to redefine the concept of luxury, five-star hotel experiences by connecting with the neighbourhood which surrounds it. In a world increasingly congested with fussy design, this project demonstrates a new type of luxury. A refreshing perspective, celebrating the Kaohsiung harbour and all of the creative energy of the commercial surroundings delivered with wit and charm. The Hotel Indigo, Kaohsiung Central Park is located in the heart of Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The neighbourhood and its dynamic port served as the inspiration for the design. Located in a vibrant suburb within Kaohsiung near the bustling commercial harbour, the hotel experience was conceptualised as the journey of goods from the harbour to the shelves of Kaohsiung’s boutiques and emporiums. Company: Hirsch Bedner Associates Hong Kong Project: Hotel Indigo Kaohsiung Central Park Project Location: Kaohsiung, Taiwan What was the client’s brief? The client owned an old shopping mall in an area near the Kaoshiung port and wanted to convert it into a hotel, but wanted the hotel to somehow relate to the previous history of the building and to the neighbourhood that was deeply connected to the nearby harbour and undergoing a process of urban renovation. The brief was therefore to redefine the concept of a five-star hotel experience, shifting the notion of luxury, as it’s commonly envisioned. The objective was to connect with the local area, allowing the hotel to become an energetic part of the urban fabric and distinguishing itself from other large five star hotels. What inspired the design of the project? As a consequence of the context in which this project came to life; the commercial aspect of the building and the evolution of the neighbourhood from an industrial harbour to a gateway to the world, became the main inspiration. The Kaohsiung neighbourhood and its dynamic port was the central inspiration for designing key areas of the hotel. Located in a vibrant suburb within Kaohsiung near the bustling commercial harbour, the hotel experience was conceptualised as the journey of goods from the harbour to the shelves of Kaohsiung’s boutiques and emporiums. Inspired by the humble local emporiums where products such as soft drinks, canned and picked food are part of everyday life for Taiwanese, beautifully designed feature walls depict the tops and bottoms of cola bottles with fun messages. Digitally printed wall coverings featuring opened jars and tins of food adds a splash of colour, character and provincial flavour. What was the toughest hurdle your team overcame during the project? Due to the trade barriers between Taiwan and Mainland China most of the finishes had to be locally sourced or engineered from scratch. The process was difficult but extremely gratifying. Thanks to this project, new products and finishes are now available in Taiwan! What was your team’s highlight of the project? The reaction of guests and visitors; some thought it was brilliant and told us they felt the connection to the neighbourhood, others found the project was at the limit of their comfort zone and didn’t like it entirely. That to us is a good sign, it means we succeeded at giving to the hotel a distinct personality and when it comes to personality, we simply just don’t all feel the same! Why did you enter the SBID International Design Awards? The project was very appreciated in Taiwan but to some it felt like it was pushing the boundaries of their comfort zone. So we were curious to see how it would have been received by an international audience and the SBID Awards was the perfect platform to do this! Questions answered by Federico Masin, Partner at Hirsch Bedner Associates Hong Kong If you missed last week’s Project of the Week featuring a hotel design which delicately balances timelessness and tradition with industrial modernity, click here to see more. We hope you feel inspired! Let us know what inspired you #SBIDinspire HBA Hong Kong | SBID International Design Awards 2018