Session Highlights

Designs on design

Neeti Mehra reports on the session titled Innovative Hotels & Design Concepts

Innovative and eclectic living spaces in a home away from home defined the pre-lunch concurrent session - Innovative Hotels & Design Concepts - moderated by S C Sekhar, senior executive director (Projects, Growth & Development) at ITC Welcomgroup.

Inspiring ideas and igniting passion in industry doyens, it focussed on entwining functionality with a sense of aesthetics, whether in contemporary or classical hotel design. The audience included Priya Paul, chairman, Park Group, who has pioneered the design-driven Park boutique hotels. The speakers for the session included personalities who have made a mark in their area of expertise.

Cutting edge design trends

Richard J Whalley, principal of the Australian Chadda Siembieda spoke about cutting edge design trends the world over. The firm is credited with redesigning the Hilton Sydney, Intercontinental Sydney and is working on a new resort in Momi, Fiji. "We are living in a designer world. Hotel design is about innovation; it is creative. Hotels should be a living theatre, " he said. For business travellers, he avered, the experience that they are seeking is sensory. "It is very hard to keep the balance and stay sharp. In the end, it is imperative to develop individualistic brand values. This is the age of bourgeoisie bohemian - the BoHo who likes to be surprised and amused," he added.

Importance of food design

Patrick Willis, CEO of Marlon Abelo Restaurant Corporation (MARC) that owns three restaurants in London which have earned three Michelin star ratings within three years, explained the importance of food design and how it should define restaurant design. He explained, "Adapting authentic cuisine from a region to suit the market is essential to drive the design concept. Diversifying the cuisine and conviviality is crucial to establish a restaurant's identity." Portions are becoming smaller, reflecting new F&B trends and tableware and accessories are critical elements. "Design is also what you have in your plate," he drove home.

Hospitality design

Garry Greene, managing director of Smallwoods, Reynolds, Stewart, Stewart & Associates, an internationally established design firm, discussed the importance of planning in hospitality design including mixed-use development. Speaking on the prominence of architecture, he enumerated on the master plan involved in designing a building. "Taking into consideration a client's goals, the process starts with establishing a design brief keeping in mind the fundamentals," he said. This must be followed by product positioning dovetailed with market analysis, type of project, the target audience programming, master planning, functionality and character, Greene added.

Design elements

The last presentation was given by Arjun Oberoi, deputy managing director, East India Hotels who highlighted the design elements - both contemporary and traditional - adopted by the group. Oberoi let actions speak louder than words with a presentation spanning the architecture, landscape, lighting and interior design details of the properties, each encompassing Oberoi's brand philosophy.

Each proponent of the design philosophy eschewed cultural stereotypes in design structures while advocating the necessity to fulfil brand expectations with quality driven timeless designs. In the Indian context, the bar on luxury design concepts has been raised and destinations are the driving factor behind hotel designs. Cutting-edge design concepts will lead the way to the future. Internationally, trends in resort designs such as open spaces with washrooms merging with bedroom space, were in a way complementing designs in city hotels that grapple with a paucity of space. Transparent partitions, outdoor bathing areas, raw and harsh lighting, juxtaposition of the contemporary with classic styles dominated the mood at this session of HICSA 2006.