Art, Where You Least Expect It!
25 Hours Hotel
Hotels are increasingly presenting themselves as contemporary spaces that define social dynamics by creating environments dedicated to hospitality (a word that encompasses many meanings). They welcome tourists as just the foundation of the experience they can offer, recognizing that not all tourists are the same! Whether it’s a first visit or a repeated one, for work, a stop over or in-depth exploration, to assess investments or potential business relocations, for family matters, etc., hotels also serve as meeting places for residents.
More and more of them are becoming the culmination of the union of all artistic disciplines: architecture, design, contemporary art. The choice to display and purchase artworks in hotels is certainly not new. Some major chains even have a dedicated art manager! However, the best projects are seen when artworks are integrated into the design itself, not just as beautiful 'objects' hung on a wall, but as elements functional to the entire space!
The 25 Hours Hotel is the first hotel I want to talk to you about. The hotel greets you with the message ”Hello Stranger”, and when you leave, it bids you farewell with “Goodbye Habibi”! With a breathtaking view of the Museum of the Future, we are in the One Central area, a vibrant hub from which you can walk to the World Trade Center and DIFC.
The design of the entire hotel is by Woods Bagot, playing on the parallel between nomads and Bedouins in a contemporary sense, catering to a traveler who does not settle for a hotel 'just' to sleep in. At the 25hours Hotel, the experience is indeed different. The urban tale begins in the lobby, where you are immediately drawn to the Fountain of Tales, a circular central fountain with seating and a library.
Adorning the top of the fountain is a rotating globe decorated with the 'comic clouds' of Mine & Yours, an artist and illustrator active in Dubai. Swing on the chairs by Chilean artist Muriel Gallardo; discover the Dioramas by German artist Sandra Havemeister: small reconstructions of Dubai that you’ll find in the elevators; get lost among the vintage and analog objects from the '70s/'80s on the mezzanine, and then look up… and you’ll find the marvelous ceiling by Dominick Bulba: Under the Same Sky: 21x9 meters, a huge ceiling, like a modern fresco, stretches above you. Dominick Bulba draws inspiration from constellations in the sky, interpreting them with humor and playfulness, telling a story that relates to Dubai and references the 25hours chain, its stories, and its philosophy. Moreover, the mural is created on innovative and technological sound-absorbing panels to create a perfect acoustic environment (The lobby is really large, but the acoustics are perfect!).
An interesting detail: even the portraits of the royal family, present in every hotel lobby, here are playfully inserted into vintage TV screens while still maintaining full recognizability and respect!
On to the next hotel!