Dolder Waldhaus Hotel

Zurich, Switzerland

2014

The Dolder Waldhaus in Zurich is a hotel designed by Swiss architects Meili Peter on the outcome of a competition held in 2012. This was followed by a shortlist competition specifically for Interior Design held in two stages during 2014 and between Luis Laplace (Paris), Marcio Kogan (São Paulo), Patricia Urquiola (Milan), Guilherme Torres (São Paulo), Amanda Sullivan (New York), Arthur Casas (São Paulo) and which was ultimately won by 3lhd (Zagreb). The design scope included hotel public areas (lobby, cigar lounge, bar, restaurant and Spa) and private areas (guestrooms, suites and serviced apartments).

Our proposal was based on the narrative of the ‘club’; design-wise a concept to be imbued in a discreet and non-intrusive way. In terms of space, it reconciles two key public conditions: a memorable arrival experience, with comfortable spaces where people can feel relaxed. This Raumgefühl, so to speak, is achieved by transitions of form and shape with corresponding combinations of material, surface, colour and texture. An atmosphere of warmth and smoothness obtains from a physical palette of soft-tone combinations of terrazzo and stone, cork, hardwood siding, stucco lucido, leather upholstery with brass hardware and framing.

Seeking a design characterized by comfort and simplicity seemlesly integrating form and material, this concept of ‘club’ is equally reinforced through carefully selected pieces of furniture that bring an overall feel of cultural authenticity to Dolder. Furnishing would include a collection of timeless pieces from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, some still in production and others restored and reused vintage, from a broad range of designers such as Joaquim Tenreiro, Sérgio Rodrigues, Joe Colombo, Dieter Rams, Finn Juhl, Gio Ponti, Hans Wegner, Eugenio Gerli or Ico Parisi and also from Swiss designers, like Hans Bellmann or Max Bill.

Artworks are mostly site-specific; working on the idea of ‘conversation and social gathering’, our proposal features a series of engraved phrase installations in guestroom mirrors and neon pieces in other public places by British artists Wood and Harrison. In addition, Brazilian artists Detanico and Lain focused on the Spa corridor, with a sound piece and a graphic alphabet metal floor engraving called amplitude bearing a transcript of the famous Japanese Haiku poems of Bashô, evocative of the sound of water.

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Cigar lounge

Entrance lobby

Location: Zurich, Switzerland
Client: Dolder AG
Operator: Dolder Hotel AG
Architects: Meili Peter Architekten, Zurich
Interior design Architects: Promontorio, Lisbon
Interior design local architects: Steiger Architekten AG, Baden
Project management: Fanzun AG
Scope of services: Interior design
Project brief: 4-star boutique hotel and spa with 92 keys and 18 serviced apartments
Gross built area: 12,000 sq. m
Project status: 2014 (invited competition, 2nd-prize)

Bedroom hallway