Radisson SAS Hotel
Lobby Area and Restaurants
Berlin
Virgile and Stone Associates

Water and heat themes electrify this Berlin hotel

© Chris Gascoigne

For more photos click on 'photos & drawings' above. To see the people and products behind this project click on 'people & products.'

The architect designed all of the main public areas including the reception and its surrounding lobby; a signature restaurant, Heat; a contemporary lounge at the lower level, the Aqua Lounge; and the Noodle Kitchen. In each case, careful attention was paid to lighting, texture, and materiality.

The lobby was conceived as an active space organized around a central aquarium tower, where visitors can meet and relax. The transparency of the reception area creates a memorable statement with its original use of glass and travertine, while individual glowing satellite stations and a sculptural art installation offer a warm and inviting atmosphere on arrival.

Large opaque glass panels that gradually fade to clear lead guests from the lobby to the Aqua Lounge on the lower ground floor. The design for the lounge references the transparency, color, movement, and reflections of water. A subtly backlit, acrylic blue modular wall elicits tones of color that evoke the feeling of being under water. Projection and other theatrical lighting effects add interest to the "clubby" ambience.

A water theme carries into the design of the Noodle Kitchen as well. Here, a stepped ramp takes guests from the entrance to the heart of the restaurant passing along side a metallic mesh clad wall, where image projection creates the effect of undulating water.

The elegant design of the Heat Restaurant challenges the traditional conception of hotel dining. Light concrete plaster finishes combine with warm wood, satin metal finishes, and radiant red-colored glass. At one end of the restaurant a patisserie counter and a bar are placed against the backdrop of a full-height glass, temperature-controlled floor to ceiling wine cellar.

Formal name of Project:
Radisson SAS Hotel - Lobby Area and Restaurants

Location:
Berlin

Gross square footage:
21,765 sq. ft.

Total construction cost:
$ 2.8 million

Owner:
DIFA Deutsche Immobilien Fonds AG
Caffamacherreihe 8
20355 Hamburg
Germany
T: + 49 (0)40 349190
www.difa.de

Client:
Rezidor SAS Hospitality NV/SA
Avenue du Bourget 44
B-1130 Brussels
Belgium
T: + 32 2 702 92 00
www.rezidorsas.com

Architect / Interior Designer:
Virgile and Stone Associates, Design & Architecture
25 Store Street
South Crescent
London WC1E 7BL UK
T: + 44 (0)20 7323 3300
www.virgileandstone.com