Image Courtesy of NHow Berlin
The NHow Berlin is so many things at once, yet it manages to maintain an effortlessly cool and utterly 'Berliner' vibe. The second NHow hotel (the first is in Milan), the brand is an extension of the NH Hotels,
a hospitality group mostly aimed at business travelers known for its
quality service and their ability to immerse all properties into their
surrounding communities with a great attention to detail and a knack for
sustainability; ''Unconventional, life- affirmative, constantly in
movement, locally rooted while at home anywhere in the world – an idea,
in other words, corresponding to lifestyle of the new creative class.''
The hotels under the NH group are specifically known for their food and
beverage programs thanks to the creative director of their F&B
concepts, Ferran Adria (founder of El Bulli).
The NHow Berlin has all the star qualities of an NH hotel with an added twist. Like a cool older sibling, NHow Berlin
is an example for other boutique hotels to rally their creative teams
and get going on the competition! Design, art and music are the main
features of the NHow, which first opened in November 2010. Seated
directly on the East Port of the Spree, the hotel claims its space at
the creative epicenter of the city, between the Friedrichshain and
Kreuzberg districts, two communities known for their art scene and edgy
nightlife. The view from the hotel is stunning, one can look across the
river and have a perfect view of the Molecule Man, a striking metal
sculpture that seems to stand on the water just on the edge of the
Treptow district, designed by American artist Jonathan Borofsky.
Image Courtesy of NHow Berlin
German architect Sergei Tchoban and Egyptian designer Karim Rashid worked
together to surmount the task at hand, to marry the industrial style of
local Berlin architecture with an unexpected and hip twist. The
building would have to look contemporary, an introduction to the playful
pop design inside, a way to showcase cheery bold colors while
maintaining the edginess that gives this area of Berlin its ‘street
cred’. To fit in with the locals here, you cannot look like you are
trying too hard… The façade is meant to look like a work in progress,
metal intertwining, evoking the feeling that a crane is hanging
overhead, as if it is constantly on the verge of change. Sharp edges,
stainless steel, and brick are characteristic of the surrounding
buildings, ''Constant development and change is an indispensable part
of the Berlin lifestyle and accounts for its fascination.'' When one
walks into the door you are enveloped by the imagination of Karim Rashid ,
a designer who has gained many accolades and awards for his work (which
has been exhibited in museums across the globe including the Moma and
the Centre Georges Pomipdou). Like a world straight out of his dreams,
the bright colors and balloon shaped furniture are intoxicating… they
are a wonderland for the creative traveler who may be looking for
inspiration in their travels.
Image Courtesy of NHow Berlin
Image Courtesy of NHow Berlin
Karim Rashid was
responsible for the interiors and the furniture design of the 304 rooms
and suites of the hotel (233 standard rooms, 25 VIP class rooms, 45
junior suites and the NHow Suite) - furniture that was custom made for
this exact hotel. Guests of the hotel can choose pink, blue, or grey
rooms (all with floors to match). The aesthetic is referred to as
''digi-pop design'' in the hotel’s press literature and can best be
described as a visual funhouse; liquid-like plastic, colorful lighting,
bold colors everywhere, furniture that looks like it was puffed up,
stretched out, and carved out of Play-doh… different shapes and sizes, a
psychedelic treat throughout the hotel. The architect wanted to create
a place you had never quite seen before, one that you couldn’t compare
to prior experiences or spaces. Rashid’s vision was intended by him to
be a radical design movement, ''…calling for a break with old ways of
looking and living, and the creation of a world free from nostalgia'':
''My vision engages technology, visuals, textures, colour, as
well as all the needs that are intrinsic to living in a simpler less
cluttered but more sensual environment. Design touches us on every
level, and design can continue to define and shape our dimensional
interior environments and create new progressive human behaviors, and
new languages. I always question whether the physical world is as
experiential, as seductive, as connective, as inspiring, as
personalizable, and customizable as the digital world.''
Rashid goes on to discuss some of the objects and new vocabulary he has
developed along with the designs that were realized for the hotel, words
and terms like ‘Infosthetic”, ‘blobject’, and ‘technorganic’. The
designer truly approached this project with a desire for utter
originality every step of the way, his vision was about all to bring
something striking and creative to the city of Berlin. His very own
world. There are many large windows and panorama windows that allow for
an “openness”, views into and out of the building bringing the hotel
experience onto the streets of Berlin. The roof above the reception
area is partially glass, allowing guests to look up at the underbelly of
the two large towers (the Upper Towers) that reach up to the Berlin
skyline. There are two bright and friendly restaurants in the hotel
also carrying along the whimsical Rashid aesthetic.
Image Courtesy of NHow Berlin
Back to the rooms, examining Rashid’s style beyond the furniture and color schemes of his ''digi-pop design''
alter-reality, he also made the rooms transient, able to change for
whatever a guest should need in a moment. For example, if the
television is on, it’s on display, but when the tv is switched off that
television disappears from view and retreats into the mirrored wall unit
in which it lives. This same mirror unit serves as a working desk and
so on. The bathrooms have glass walls that let light through yet are
not transparent so as to forego the guests’ privacy. And then there is
the incomparable NHow Suite, best described in images, it can
comfortably sleep 12 guests and boasts two floors, a roof terrace,
sunset views behind the backdrop of the city, a spacious sitting room
and open kitchen, and so much more… ''Metropolitan feeling in its pure
form, coupled with lots of space, an extravagant design and the most
up-to-date technology - that is what the nHow Suite has to offer.''
Image Courtesy of NHow Berlin
Image Courtesy of NHow Berlin
This brings us to what makes the NHow Berlin
extra special, the Music element. No other hotel in Europe can boast
two music recording studios housed inside. It was no mistake the Nhow
was placed in the heart of “Berlin’s new centre of the music industry”,
with companies from record labels to music electronics firms in the
vicinity “…NHow Berlin
aspires to become a magnetic attraction for the capital’s music
enthusiasts as well as music-lovers among its guests.” In fact, the NHow Berlin
sits smack in between MTV and Universal. The music makers themselves,
creative in and traveling through Berlin will find a literal play room
in the mixing studios of the Music Sound Floor found on the 8th story of the upper tower of the hotel (the studios are run by the hotel in partnership with Laustark and the famous Hansa Studios
to bring the highest quality experience to those who will record and
perform here at the hotel). A main attraction on the Music Sound Floor
is the Analog Mixing Suite that boasts up-to-date sound recording
technology with some of the most coveted vintage equipment in the
world. For those who prefer their technology modernized, there is the
5.1 Digital Suite where all music is created digitally. Both of these
music studios are linked by a single recording booth. Here, everything
from voice-overs, to instrumentals, to spoken word pieces can be
performed and mastered. As if this weren’t impressive enough, there is
an actual lounge extending from the studios that can seat up to 100
guests. With a sprawling view of the Spree, the music lounge has all
the multimedia to delight the biggest tech geek and provides the perfect
space for a music event, TV interviews, presentations, and exclusive
listening sessions.
For all the music appreciators that do
not necessarily look for a recording studio during their hotel stay,
each room is iPod ready. Yet, if you happen to find that room view of
the Spree overwhelmingly touching and you should become inspired to
write a song, just call up room service and they will be happy to bring a
guitar to your door.
Image Courtesy of NHow Berlin
Image Courtesy of NHow Berlin
Another deeply impressive space of the NHow is the art gallery downstairs.
A constantly rotating collection courtesy of well-known and respected
gallery owners around Berlin and beyond has placed the gallery in high
regard among the local art scene. Seeing that this is the second Nhow
hotel (as mentioned, the first was built in Milan in 2006), the location
for a hotel like this was deliberate. Take, for example, the art scene
and the relationship of the gallery to the hotel and all of the
wonderful people it may not have otherwise brought through its doors. ''Creativity, love of change and a powerfully magnetic attraction for international artists characterize the rhythm of the city...''
Berlin itself is an ever-changing metropolis, the perfect place for a
multifaceted concept hotel to ultimately unveil a refreshing and one of a
kind hospitality experience. The gallery is a favorite public gathering
spot in the hotel, the large terrace out on the river is a close second
(but only during summer months, of course).
There is so much more that can be said about the NHow Berlin, a truly special place in an ever changing city, but that can be left to the images that --as we know can speak far more than words can in this article. With so many hotels that grace the pages of Yatzer, it is always apparent when an architect and a designer can unite not only their visions together, but then go on to marry those creations with the city in which the hotel will call home. This is a true work of art in progress, one that if done successfully, will keep changing for as long as the building stands. That is the beauty of architecture and design.
There is so much more that can be said about the NHow Berlin, a truly special place in an ever changing city, but that can be left to the images that --as we know can speak far more than words can in this article. With so many hotels that grace the pages of Yatzer, it is always apparent when an architect and a designer can unite not only their visions together, but then go on to marry those creations with the city in which the hotel will call home. This is a true work of art in progress, one that if done successfully, will keep changing for as long as the building stands. That is the beauty of architecture and design.
Image Courtesy of NHow Berlin
Image Courtesy of NHow Berlin
Image Courtesy of NHow Berlin
Image Courtesy of NHow Berlin
Image Courtesy of NHow Berlin
Image Courtesy of NHow Berlin
Image Courtesy of NHow Berlin
Image Courtesy of NHow Berlin
Image Courtesy of NHow Berlin
sources: NHOW Berlin
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