2. 01Lifestyle: Hotel & Resort Design
Who We Are
Woods Bagot is a global studio that designs and
delivers buildings and interiors across five sectors:
Aviation & Transport, Education & Science, Sport,
Workplace and Lifestyle.
Our network of 16 studios operates in five regions:
Europe, North America, the Middle East, Asia and
Australia. We employ some of the world’s leading
designers focusing on architecture, interior design,
masterplanning, urban design and consulting.
3. 03Lifestyle: Hotel & Resort Design
Our Global Studio
850+ People
16 Studios
5 Regions
5 Sectors
02Lifestyle: Hotel & Resort Design
Our Clients
Baccarat
Banyan Tree
Edwardian Group
Fairmont Raffles & Swissotel
Firmdale Hotels
Four Seasons
GMP Group
Greenland
Hilton
Hyatt
IHG Group
Jumeirah
Ka’ana Belize
Kempinski Hotels
KOP Properties
Marriott
Merivale
Morgans
Metropol Group
Pafilia Property Developers
Reignwood Group
Starwood
4. 05Lifestyle: Hotel & Resort Design
Lifestyle—Our Offer
Lifestyle projects are those in which our design
approach offers guests and customers an
‘authentic’ live/leisure experience. This experience
is sensitive and responsive to specific cultures
and contexts, capturing the essence of the
environment in which such projects are delivered.
We create distinctive hotel, resort and hospitality
destinations that make clear statements about
how people live, work and play. Our designs
are united by their ability to provide insight into
the ‘bigger story’ behind each development in
terms of its context and evolution. Understanding
the site and the surrounding built environment,
and responding with a design solution which is
modern, functional and deliverable is key to the
success of our projects.
This approach results in exceptional schemes
which create memorable and unique guest
experiences. Wherever possible, we base our
designs on a ‘family’ of products with the same
essential ‘DNA’. These often reference the local
vernacular, materials and styles, but deliver the feel
of a private residence rather than a conventional
hotel or guest villa experience.
Understanding the interests of the guests and
visitors who use the hotels and resorts we
design is the starting point for our approach.
Expectations differ between business or leisure
customers, single or multiple guest experiences,
or international travellers simply expecting
the ‘extraordinary’. We start by identifying the
desires and aspirations of guests, both in terms
of abstract feelings and practical requirements.
These directly inform the mapping of individual
guest experiences which, when overlaid with one
another, create a detailed picture of the services
and facilities required, helping to identify public and
private areas of activity and interaction.
04Lifestyle: Hotel & Resort Design
Our Approach
A rigorous design process is central to our
approach. Woods Bagot Design Intelligence is
the primary method we employ to ensure the best
possible outcome for our clients, stakeholders and
end users. Our aim on each project is to create a
built environment of lasting quality and value. We
strive to create exceptional buildings and spaces,
while contributing to the communities they serve
and realising the business goals of our clients.
Sustainability is an integral component of our
projects as we constantly seek to measure and
—ultimately—limit our impact on the environment,
both as businesses and individuals. We design
sustainable buildings that are commercially viable
and we work closely with our clients to make this
standard practice, rather than the exception.
Underpinning all our work is a strong emphasis
on effective collaboration between our regional
studios and a highly flexible approach towards
shared working in terms of project resourcing,
specialist knowledge, design management and
leadership. This means that we are able to tackle
projects through a variety of approaches that
adapt to specific needs, ranging from discrete
in-country teams to full cross-border,
multi-locational collaboration.
Our experience with some of our global clients
demonstrates our ability to manage a large
number of design projects in parallel with
multi-market locations, including those where we
do not have a physical presence. This reflects
the robustness of our collaborative approach and
our ability to ensure that the quality and delivery
of our product is—at all times—consistently high
wherever we work.
5. Hotel: Project 01 07Lifestyle: Hotel & Resort Design
Edwardian Group
Leicester Square Hotel
London, UK
Woods Bagot is working for Edwardian Group to
design a new hotel in Leicester Square, London.
The proposal is for a landmark building, integrated
into the fabric of the West End cinema experience,
accommodating 360 guest rooms across seven
floors, two Odeon cinemas, a spa, restaurants,
bars and a 500-seat banqueting suite.
The hotel will occupy an entire city block in the
south-west corner of Leicester Square and will
complete the rejuvenation of one of London’s
busiest public spaces. The site stands at the
intersection of four conservation areas, each with
their own separate scales and identities, and this
has strongly influenced the quality and type of
materials used in the design.
The main body of the building is formed in natural
Portland stone and complemented by an inner
layer of royal blue faience creating moments of
colour and texture.
Natural zinc roof-panels, designed to fold into a
series of partially twisted forms along the length of
the roof, create a striking rhythm at high level and
help to reduce the bulk and mass of the building.
Whilst recognising that much of the new hotel
needed to respond in scale and detail to the
surrounding streetscape, the Woods Bagot team
was actively encouraged by planning officers to
create a striking corner on Leicester Square. The
bold tower-like form serves as a new marker for
pedestrians moving between Trafalgar Square and
the West End.
06Lifestyle: Hotel & Resort Design Hotel: Project 01
6. Hotel: Project 02 09Lifestyle: Hotel & Resort Design
Firmdale Hotels
Ham Yard Hotel
London, UK
The first new-build Firmdale hotel in the UK,
designed by Woods Bagot, opens in Spring 2014
in the Soho area of central London.
Before it was acquired by Firmdale, Ham Yard had
been an abandoned site close to Piccadilly Circus.
The hotel not only helps to repair the urban
fabric of the site, but also fully engages the wider
neighbourhood within which it is located.
The new development comprises a 91-room hotel
as well as 24 luxury apartments, 13 retail units
and a restaurant, bar, gym and spa. Within the
basement is a 176-seat theatre space and a series
of private event spaces, including a four-lane
bowling alley.
At the heart of the proposal is a new public square
linking Great Windmill Street and Denman Street.
This creates a pedestrian route from Golden
Square to Piccadilly Circus, breathing new life into
a previously unattractive and neglected corner of
Soho. Lined with shops, restaurants and a new
arcade on Denman Street, the route will pass
through an attractively landscaped courtyard
that forms the entrance to the hotel and provides
opportunities for outdoor dining.
The design approach seeks to encapsulate the
distinctive architectural landscape of Soho by
delivering a building which is complementary to
the scale, massing and materials of the area,
while providing a contemporary addition to one of
London’s key leisure and tourist districts.
08Lifestyle: Hotel & Resort Design Hotel: Project 02
7. Reignwood Group
10 Trinity Square Hotel
London, UK
10 Trinity Square, the former headquarters of the
Port of London Authority, is one of London’s most
cherished and important buildings. Built between
1911 and 1922, this grand Portland stone
courtyard building is Grade II* listed, and forms
part of the Tower of London World Heritage Site.
Woods Bagot was appointed to implement a
sensitive approach to the redevelopment of this
prominent site, being careful to preserve the
listed elements of the existing building, while
incorporating two new floors and expanding the
public area into the existing courtyard.
As part of the overall restoration project, Woods
Bagot created a modern interpretation of the
original rotunda. The rotunda is an integral
part of the restoration, connecting the first,
second and third floors of the main building to
this unique space.
The space has been carefully designed to
maximise views from within. The rotunda’s twisted
fins will create an optical illusion, giving shape to
the simple geometric form whilst providing privacy
for those guests occupying hotel rooms in the
courtyard. The terrace surrounding the rotunda will
be a hidden garden with an infinity-edged water
feature at its base.
The development, which overlooks the River
Thames, includes 120 guest rooms and 41 luxury
serviced residences, with residents enjoying
unrestricted access to facilities including a
spa, fitness centre, swimming pool and a
24-hour concierge.
Hotel: Project 03 11Lifestyle: Hotel & Resort Design10Lifestyle: Hotel & Resort Design Hotel: Project 03
8. 13Lifestyle: Hotel & Resort Design Hotel: Project 04
Greenland
The Greenland Centre
Sydney, Australia
The Greenland Centre—at 115 Bathurst Street,
Sydney—comprises a 170-key, 5-Star hotel within
a restored, listed building as well as a partial new-
build, 235m-high tower offering 450 apartments.
Woods Bagot’s design proposal is for a sensitive
refurbishment of the existing Art Deco office
building which seeks to restore its heritage
features while reconfiguring the space as a
contemporary design hotel, with a rooftop
restaurant, bar and pool.
Guest rooms—across six floors—feature luxurious
interiors. Original features of the building—
including marble columns—are celebrated,
complemented by a range of modern finishes and
materials. The materiality of the new elements
reference the original stone and timber veneer
panelling, with lighter tones visually helping to
connect the large ground-floor space.
The existing structure adjacent to the proposed
hotel will be built upon to form Sydney’s tallest
residential tower.
12Lifestyle: Hotel & Resort Design Hotel: Project 04
9. Hotel: Project 05 15Lifestyle: Hotel & Resort Design
Jumeriah
Grosvenor House Apartments
London, UK
The Grosvenor House Apartments are located
in the Mayfair district of London, offering
133 apartments, including four penthouses
operated by Jumeriah Living as exclusive
‘hotel residences’.
Woods Bagot was engaged by Park Lane
Properties Ltd as the lead architect to refurbish
the hotel apartment complex and create a new
central atrium. We also collaborated with Anouska
Hempel Design on the interior design of the
apartments and lobby area.
Creating an apartment-hotel complex in an historic
building—originally designed by Edwin Lutyens in
the 1920s—was a challenging brief. The design
needed to work with the existing, operational
hotel spaces below, including Europe’s second
largest ballroom, as well as respond to the existing
inefficient floor plates of the building. As a result,
considerable additional space has been created
within the scheme.
The atrium provides a new guest lounge on the
second floor reception, featuring a substantial
fireplace with dining and seating areas and soft
landscape zones—all key elements of a London
home. The apartments fronting the new atrium
were increased in area by extending floor plates
into the atrium. Variable apartment layouts and
interconnectivity, by way of lobbied alcoves,
provide flexibility while a high-end finish reflects
Woods Bagot’s desire to remain in keeping with
the building’s landmark status. The Grosvenor
House Apartments have achieved a 5-Star hotel
standard within the constraints of a building which
had not been modernised for many years. The
development opened in April 2012.
14Lifestyle: Hotel & Resort Design Hotel: Project 05
10. Resort: Project 01 17Lifestyle: Hotel & Resort Design
Metropol Group
Banyan Tree Resort
Sveti Marko Island, Montenegro
Proposed as Banyan Tree’s first European
resort, Sveti Marko Island comprises 74 private
residences and a 160-key hotel, set on this private
haven of exceptional natural beauty in the midst of
the UNESCO-listed Kotor Bay.
The project required close collaboration with the
local government to ensure sensitive development
of the site. The hotel is designed to merge with
the lush landscape of cypress trees, olives and
acacias which covers the island. Buildings were
kept off the ridge lines to allow the distinctive
profile of the land form to remain untouched.
Large-scale excavation was avoided and the
approach focused on protecting the coastline
from erosion.
Private villas—ranging from 300–700m2
, each
with its own jetty—are interspersed throughout
the landscape. All feature cantilevered pools and
terraces to take advantage of the dramatic views.
The hotel comprises 60 deluxe suites—with
plunge pools—within a central building, offering
magnificent views of nearby mountain ranges.
A further 100 beach bungalow suites are included
in the development.
An authentic and unique architectural design was
achieved by referencing the local vernacular and
materiality in a contemporary aesthetic. Roof forms
reflecting the surrounding landscape provided an
identifiable architectural ‘brand’.
16Lifestyle: Hotel & Resort Design Resort: Project 01
11. 19Lifestyle: Hotel & Resort Design Resort: Project 02
GMP Group
Las Colinas, Golf & Country Club
Alicante, Spain
Las Colinas Golf & Country Club is a resort
development in Murcia, southern Spain. The site
covers 200,000m2
of outstanding natural beauty,
including dense pine forest and the remnants of
agricultural terraces with groves of citrus trees. The
championship golf course has been designed by
the renowned North American landscape architect,
Cabell B. Robinson, and extends across the valley
between the hills, adapting to—and integrating
with—the contouring of the landscape.
In addition to the golf course there is an
established clubhouse, beach club and residential
development, managed by Troon Golf.
The client was looking for a fresh architectural
approach and Woods Bagot was appointed
to design a family of new villas to respond
to the client’s requirements and broaden the
resort’s appeal. The Phase 1 villas have different
characteristics depending on the type of
landscape they sit in. Forest villas seemingly float
amongst the pine trees; patio villas sit amongst
orange groves on the agricultural terraces;
finca villas lie on the river flats; and modern
Mediterranean villas have elevated views of the
golf course.
Woods Bagot’s proposal was for a lower-density
development with a range of eco-friendly buildings
that creates a ‘preserve’ and a community rather
than a typical resort development, forming
a secluded haven of natural beauty with
residences of lasting quality that can be passed
on to future generations.
18Lifestyle: Hotel & Resort Design Resort: Project 02
12. Resort: Project 03 21Lifestyle: Hotel & Resort Design
Kempinski Hotels
The Wave
Muscat, Oman
Woods Bagot was appointed to undertake
architectual, landscape and interior design services
for this new landmark 5-Star hotel in the heart
of the Wave Muscat development in Oman. The
site—which enjoys absolute waterfrontage—
adjoins an 18-hole championship golf course on
one side and connects to the marina and central
commercial district on the other.
The hotel incorporates 309 guest rooms and
68 serviced apartments as well as extensive
landscaped gardens, a destination gym and spa,
two swimming pools, restaurants, bars, and a
ballroom on the corner of the site for up to
1,000 guests.
The hotel element is based on a reinterpretation of
the architecture found in local villages. The hotel
is designed as a series of smaller buildings
creating courtyards which offer an intimate
guest experience. A dozen retail outlets encourage
a vibrant street atmosphere, connecting the hotel
to the neighbourhood.
The ballroom has been designed to reinforce
movement around the corner of the site. The
massing of the buildings, careful choice of
materials, clean lines and simple detailing provide
a contemporary aesthetic.
20Lifestyle: Hotel & Resort Design Resort: Project 03
13. Pafilia Property Developers
Minthis Hills Golf & Country Club
Minthis Hills, Cyprus
Minthis Hills is set in a stunning undulating
landscape outside Paphos, Cyprus, on a
1,200-acre site. Woods Bagot has taken an
holistic approach to the creation of the project
vision. This involved masterplanning—in
conjunction with Capita Lovejoy—architecture
and interior design and also leading the resort
branding—in conjunction with consultants
Bear—to create a unique country retreat
lifestyle experience.
The masterplan incorporates a major upgrade of
the existing golf course and ancient monastery, as
well as the creation of a 600-villa residential offer,
a contemporary clubhouse and a village centre
with spa, taverna and local shops. The clubhouse
comprises a gourmet restaurant, meeting facilities,
a sales office and pro shop.
The design draws reference from traditional
Cypriot mountain village architecture through
the use of stone and timber and is blended with
a dramatic roof and stunning views of the golf
course and mountains beyond. Woods Bagot has
designed nine villa types of various sizes, and the
first phase of these villas is now complete.
The overall architectural concept for the
development has been established by the
clubhouse design and is an approach which seeks
to provide privacy while maximising views for each
villa. Outdoor spaces are optimised through the
use of stepped terraces and infinity pools that are
incorporated into gardens which blend seamlessly
with their natural surroundings. The interiors
utilise natural ventilation and incorporate winter
courtyards which feature open fires and
barbecue areas.
Resort: Project 04 23Lifestyle: Hotel & Resort Design22Lifestyle: Hotel & Resort Design Resort: Project 04
14. 24Lifestyle: Hotel & Resort Design
Image Credits
All images in this brochure are owned
by Woods Bagot except:
pp 06–07: Cityscape (far left)
pp 08–09: Assembly Studios (far left)
pp 10–11: Visualisation One (far left);
Jorge Luis Dieguez (below, near left)
pp 14–15: Will Pryce (all)
pp 18–19: Las Colinas (above)
pp 22–23: Minthis Hills (all)
Dubai
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