DF_DC

Description

The transformation of the building is based on a conscious and careful process of addition, subtraction and «crystallisation», whereby layers, materials and fragments of space are activated or translated into a new whole. Hotels are potentially places with long histories. The interventions recognise this historical memory, bringing back techniques of the past in order to evoke a sense of nostalgia, in contrast to the evolution of hotels as places of monotonous replication. The material scheme and mise-en-scène pursues a spartan, resilient atmosphere. The public areas theatrically invite guests or flaneurs in from the street, providing a sort of urban refuge beyond the hotel’s private hospitality. The project involves accepting the unexpected: layers and relics from previous episodes in the hotel’s existence are brought into play with the new. Flaws and contradictions from the past are not eliminated but integrated as qualities. This openness to the «as-found» also influenced our approach to the newly designed fragments and spaces, including the secret garden.