Lux Park Hotel

Located on a hilltop right next to the prominent Park Eduardo vii, the area where Lux Park hotel stands was developed as an upper middle class residential quarter in the 1920s and 30s. Given its location, slightly off the main tourism route and closer to the business centre, the brief for this 4-star contemporary city hotel is strongly focused in events and conferences. Functionally, it is devised as a comfortable and technologically intuitive place, but also elegant and sophisticated design-wise.

The building occupies a vacant plot in a large perimeter block and is slightly recessed at ground floor level to allow passengers’ drop-off and car entrance. The street facade, facing Southeast, is sheltered from sun exposure by a grid system of random vertical aluminium mullions that, like an abstract second skin, conceals the curtain wall behind and reasserts the 5-storey building with the neighbouring alignments.

Inside, guests are greeted by a double-height lobby in a beige terrazzo floor with brass inlays combined with a three-dimensional sculptural wall signage, also in solid brass, and a ceiling in wide walnut boards that extends to the mezzanine of the adjacent bar. The latter has a generous stairwell leading guests to the restaurant below. Also on the ground floor, the conference facility faces the lobby with a long wall of slatted walnut which conceals the doors. The aloft conference centre, with a sliding partitions system in upholstered acoustic fabric is counterpoised by a walnut wall cladding and looks out towards an outdoor vertical garden.

Divided into three large spaces that can be sectioned off, the restaurant aims to provide comfort and warmth regardless of the number of guests.  Combinations of finishes generate differentiated atmospheres that challenge the typical vastness of all-day dining facilities at business hotels. Glazed tiles in the show-cooking wall combine with cement floor tiles and herringbone timber floor, while timber framed glass partitions allow the main rooms to be separate, there is also a see-through window filled with small swivelling mirrors. Soft lighting and views to the outdoor vertical garden, suggest a botanical inspiration for the wallpaper motifs.

Guestrooms and suites have solid timber boarding and micro-cement wall finishes, reinforcing the principle of simplicity and sophistication. With the bathroom shower and vanity out in the open, the wet areas have glazed tiles on both floors and walls.

The design includes an extensive number of bespoke items, which went through a tireless process of prototyping and fine-tuning. This included, among others, sofas, chairs, tables, cabinets and light fittings, using materials such as solid timber and veneers, marble, brass or bronze and leather or fabrics.