Marcel Wanders is a leading product and interior design studio located in the creative capital of Amsterdam, with over 1,900+ iconic product and interior design experiences all around the globe. Marcel Wanders’ 27 years of design are celebrated in some of the most renowned art and design museums in the world. Regarded by many as an anomaly in the design world, Marcel Wanders has made it his mission to “create an environment of love, live with passion and make our most exciting dreams come true.”
His work excites, provokes, and polarises, but never fails to surprise for its ingenuity, daring and singular quest to uplift the human spirit, and entertain. Marcel Wanders’ chief concern is bringing the human touch back to design, ushering in what he calls design’s ‘new age;’ in which designer, craftsperson and user are reunited.
In his process, Marcel Wanders defies design dogma, preferring instead of focus on holistic solutions rather than the technocratic. In this universe, the coldness of industrialism is replaced instead by the poetry, fantasy and romance of different ages, vividly brought to life in the contemporary moment. In this issue of SURFACES REPORTER, we share an exquisite luxurious project by Marcel, his first hotel project in the Middle East.
“Conceptually, we have married local culture with a modern design aesthetic to compile tales told from legends through sophisticated verses of poetry,” adds Marcel Wanders.
The Mondrian Doha in Qatar is SBE’s, a leading privately-held lifestyle hospitality company’s first hotel in the Middle East as well as Marcel Wanders’ first hotel for the region. Designed by Marcel Wanders and operated by the global hospitality company SBE, the project draws on local knowledge and exhibits innovative materials and techniques.
A wonderful story unfolds around every turn in this contemporary classic hotel, whose iconic building is designed by SWA architects. Each space possesses its own identity, allowing guests to form a collection of stories woven with the main theme that runs throughout.
“Many themes are layered in the hotel. With each individual space telling its own tale, guests have many different experiences, and therefore, weave for themselves a volume of stories to share.”
Marcel Wanders’ signature style spans from the hotel’s lobby and restaurants to its royal penthouses, VIP units, suites, premium and standard rooms. Bespoke designs reflect local patterns, Arabic writing and historic souks. Giant columns with golden eggs, a ‘tree of life’ made of flowers, falcon video art, ornate stained glass and intricate mosaic tiling add to this most luxurious and holistic hotel experience. The lavish 270-room hotel is set to be an exceptional lifestyle offering for the destination with the hotel’s eight restaurants and bars, dedicated nightclub zone, expansive ballroom and rooftop pool and bar, complete with the stained glass dome.
The 9,100 square-foot space boasts two levels (connected by Wander’s iconic floating staircase), a grand piano, pool table, and in-room spa area topped off by sweeping, 360-degree views of the city. The 26th and 27th floor of Mondrian Doha is a truly remarkable space. The rooftop pool and bar, Rise, is a city of its own, created with black and white bricks and offering an abundance of natural light which shines through the stained glass dome to create rays of coloured light.
“Locale is super important. To create the hotel, we studied the city, we studied the people. We don’t create interiors, we create destinations and Mondrian Doha is a destination in itself that needs to be discovered. It is a journey that has no end. Stepping into Mondrian Doha begins the first chapter of a wonderful story that unfolds and presents surprises around every turn.”
Modern technology has allowed the pattern of a peony tiffany lamp to be printed on the skylight glass, making it the largest Tiffany lamp in the world. Under the colourful sky of the glass dome is the black and white city below; the pool area, which houses luxury wooden and crystal lamps, white leather seating and wooden sunbeds.
The magnificent ballroom, the largest in the region, is an elegant, transformable space that can be adapted to suit every occasion, from lavish weddings and award ceremonies to larger functions and presentations. Brides can enjoy the most glamorous of entrances with the use of an incredible 24-carat gold sculpted caged elevator
which links the secret bridal suite directly to the ballroom.
“Many themes are layered in the hotel. With each individual space telling its own tale, guests have many different experiences, and therefore, weave for themselves a volume of stories to share,” says Marcel.
Bespoke designs span from the hotel’s lobby and restaurants to its royal penthouses, VIP units, bridal suites and premium and standard rooms, reflecting local patterns, Arabic writing, historic souks and falcons. Giant columns with golden eggs, falcon video art, ornate stained glass and intricate mosaic tiling inspire guests with feelings of nostalgia.
In the lobby, an oversized gold leaf bell with a crystal chandelier welcomes guests, while in the lounge, a surreal white forest is characterised by giant white Trees of Life. In the multipurpose hall, three colours adapt into intriguing atmospheres.
The hotel features a world-class spa – an unparalleled journey combining health, beauty and wellbeing.
“Conceptually, we have married local culture with a modern design aesthetic. While many themes are collectively layered throughout the hotel, each individual space tells its own tale. Guests may, therefore, have many different experiences and weave for themselves a collection of stories to share,” says Marcel Wanders.
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This article was first published in SURFACES REPORTER MAGAZINE, January 2018. Print copy can be Subscribed at: http://www.surfacesreporter.com/subscription
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