5* Rixos Hotel Premium
Dubrovnik, Croatia
Taking into account the client’s brief, and inspired by the surrounding culture, architecture, history, art and fashion, we were entrusted with the renovation of the hotel’s lobby, its two restaurants, the sports bar, the outdoor and indoor pools and the large 2’000 sqm spa with tea lounge and concept store.
Playing with the symbolic meaning of ‘Libertas,’ the Latin word for freedom and liberty but also happiness and light, we created a place where people can express themselves whilst enjoying a sense of belonging. As with all of our projects, we have taken a holistic approach to interior design, to achieve architectural integrity and structural purity within the original building structure, simultaneously combining playful design elements and comfortable furniture.
Factsheet
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Type5* Resort Hotel
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Scope of workRenovation of Lobby, Teppanyaki Restaurant, 3-meal Restaurant, Sports-Bar, Spa Area, Pool & Fitness
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Year2019-2020
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ClientRixos Hotels
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ImagesTonči Plazibat, Rixos Hotel
Situated in the picturesque Croatian town of Dubrovnik and overlooking the Adriatic coast, sits the remarkable 5* Hotel Rixos Premium, recently renovated by our design firm. This large-scale renovation project was 8 months in the making, and represents an inspiring collaboration between international teams at the beginning of the global pandemic.
A distinct reception area with an ensemble of three tailor-made desks and custom chandeliers make an eye-catching statement in gold and white. The desk walls feature a rippled-effect multi-dimensional surface, and an arch installation behind the desk acts as a prelude to the arches found in the lobby.
The revamped interiors echo the freshness of the Mediterranean, as well as the vibrancy and mesmerising history of the surrounding town. With an effortless take on luxury, our design perfectly combines practicality with blissful comfort, delivering an impressive statement in functionality.
The lobby features various different seating options, but all of them are surrounded by lots of green foliage. Some furniture was exclusively designed for the lobby, such as the libertas flower terrazzo tables and the central benches in the courtyard. The furniture is upholstered in light and fresh colors, which pick up the adriatic color scheme.
«In the lobby, one may admire up close a number of vivid paintings exclusively curated by renowned Merkur Gallery Istanbul and our studio.»
"The large bucida bucera trees (Black Olive trees) were very hard to get in the size that we wanted. The hunt for these beautiful, over 10 m tall, trees was quite an experience, requiring us to travel across Europe to visit numerous nurseries, just in time before our first lock down in March 2020."
The central courtyard, with its 10m tall trees and a water feature, creates a spectacular backdrop for all the activity that’s going on at the lobby level. Inspired by Dubrovnik’s old town filled with lush gardens and century-old trees, we decided to design the lobby as an indoor garden, using these tall trees to create a beautiful canopy.
«We wanted to recreate a unique atmosphere that resembled a lush interior garden. For this reason we used planters across the entire lobby and the beautiful bird of paradise plants to create this indoor garden feel.»
The lobby flooring is made out of white and light grey terrazzo with blue, yellow and white onyx flower inlays. Again, these flowers are symbolic to the gardens of Dubrovnik.
The mirror arches in the hotel’s lobby are an important design feature; they are a modern take on the arches found in the small, local side streets in Dubrovnik, with various beams of light reflecting off them throughout the day, culminating in a mesmerising golden hue in the evening as the sun sets. We added modern space dividers in the shape of arches with gold, blue and rippled glass inlays. They are a playful element in the lobby and give a certain brilliance and luminosity to the space.
Adjacent to the vast open lobby, we designed a large round bar that helps to connect the various open spaces. The bar features an amazing choice of wonderful patisserie and transforms during the day from a coffee bar, to an afternoon tea service and later to an aperitivo bar.
Another important feature in the large, open space lobby is a well-curated library featuring selected books by Assouline. When we design hotel interiors, we not only focus on furnishing and decorating, but we also like to offer the guest some unique experiences and fill their time with meaningful things. Thus, the well curated library …
«We would like to offer the guest some unique experiences and fill their time with meaningful things.»
The wide covered outdoor terrace is the highlight of the lobby level. Immeasurable views over the Adriatic ocean can be enjoyed all day long. To complement the Adriatic blues we used a rosa and beige colour scheme for the furniture, which also mirrors the golden rays at sunset.
Multiple seating groups are enclosed within large groups of Strelitzia flowers (bird of paradise). The same notion of the indoor garden occurs likewise on the large exterior terrace.
Amazingly delicious food, served by Turkish chef Ozgur Donertas, can be enjoyed throughout the day at the various restaurants. The Umi Teppanjaki and the beachfront Fish Restaurant offer a state of the art experience, unique to this location, while at Turquoise restaurant Croatian, Mediterranean, Turkish and international flavours can be savoured.
We sought to evoke a minimalistic interior inspired by Japanese wooden structures. The white rippled wall cladding and the wooden ceiling create this backdrop. The main Teppanyaki counter in white marble and jewel glass mosaics covering the front, is found on the outside terrace again against the mesmerizing blue ocean.
The outdoor pool can be seen from all the floors above, and even when you arrive by airplane. For this purpose, it was clear to us that it needed to be a statement piece. We designed a fun, large-scale blue and white zigzag pattern made of small mosaic tiles, that creates an engaging feature and is surrounded by a lovely, new hardwood deck.
The spa area is over 2000 sqm, and features state-of-the-art treatments and offers various experiences.
One enters the spa through the newly designed tea lounge featuring one of the best tea selections worldwide. This area houses not only a tea lounge but also the reception area for the spa and a small concept store selling unique local pieces.
The Anjana spa features one of the best tea selections worldwide. The abundant choice of teas can be savoured at the stylish and comfortable tea lounge.
