Why can integrating art into projects be so transformative? – Part 2

Here’s an example from one of our own projects.  On our hotel project Andaz Doha, we focused our design story very much around the idea of a Kaleidoscope of Cultures that speaks to Doha as a geographical and cultural crossroads.  Maria and I were particularly taken with the local weaving that stitched kaleidoscopic geometries across the face of the local fabrics and saw an opportunity to incorporate it into the hotel guestrooms.  I guess we could have simply sheathed pillows in regional upholstery and called it a day.  But we were more interested in something that would integrate this local craft into the architecture itself.  We turned to Sadu weaving for inspiration and designed a series of wall panels with wood inlaid like cross-stitch patterns, which both enhanced the design narrative and gave the walls a new type of focal point.  Yes, the solution was based on a decorative application.  And yet, the panels were such a strong statement, that they became the artwork for those walls.  The whole project team from Client to Operator loved this approach, and removed the need for redesign, saved money from lagging sign-offs and left a clearer brief for fine art elsewhere on the project.  It’s important to note this isn’t a one off; our use of integrated art is positively received by many of our clients.  I could share multiple examples but that would be giving too much away.

So, do we consciously sit down to think about how to integrate art?  Not so obviously – it is an organic design process at BrimeRobbins, and artwork is approached differently for every project.  Sometimes the space needs the art to be a natural extension of all the finishes, and sometimes the space needs the art to be an authentic local voice.  We want our hotels to be closer to being like a second home with a common language that runs across designer, art consultant and stylist referencing each other. 

What we find particularly interesting is that this approach isn’t really something new, it’s just something that has been overlooked through the later 20th and early 21st century.  It’s part of a reinvention of cohesive design harking back to the monumental architects of the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s offering us the opportunity to have a human, immediate and direct affect at every hospitality touchpoint.  Integrating artwork into the interior space means that people can literally touch the artwork instead of only looking at it.  When you walk into your guest room designed by BrimeRobbins, you aren’t just getting a home-away-from-home that makes you feel comfortable and wanting to return; you get to create a friendship and dialogue between you and the room you’re in.  

When considering integrated art, the options are endless but a word of caution – it does require skill and balance to get right – as with any good design.  Of course, now you know where to come when you need some advice!