Karim Rachid's Sonic-Maximalism is on Full Display in Berlin Concept Hotel
Egyptian-born, Canadian-raised Karim Rachid has designed everything from waste bins to luxury goods, and basically everything in between. Described as the "Prince of Plastic" and the “most famous industrial designer in all the Americas" by Time Magazine, Rachid’s untethered design sensibilities are entirely free from precedent. An absolute disregard for design trends is precisely what makes the partnership between Rachid and Spanish NH Hotel Group so thrilling.
Unlike other multinational hotel chains who’s focus is on brand uniformity, NH’s commitment to memorable and unique experiences is core to its strategic effort to beating out big chains like Marriott International or Hilton Hotels. Founded in 1978 with just one hotel, their bet on delivering one of a kind spaces for each hotel and city has successfully made guests obsessed with the brand.
Today the company operates over 350 hotels in 28 countries most recently with the completion of the OMA Tower in Rai Amsterdam. None of which could be described as contemporary or typical, with each having its own unique flair and style NH has made sure there’s always something new for travellers.
For instance the NH Madrid Nacional is a classic 1920s Baux-Arts Building with traditionally green marble and white plaster lobby finishes while the NH Milano Fiera in Italy is a futuristic set of inclined glossy black towers perforated with irregular openings. In Amsterdam the hotel chain occupies a collection of Early Industrial buildings built of brick, steel and glass with quirky interiors and wacky signage.
The goal of creating memorable destinations by exceeding peoples expectations is what drove the company to work with Karim Rachid. As part of the bands mission to foster artists, the chain unleashed Rachid to design every surface, object and space of the nhow CONCEPT in Berlin in his vision. The result is a music inspired hotel where sound is tactile and immersive, and guests experience colour, texture, and vibrancy in ways they never have before.
Set on the Spree River, the old line between East and West Berlin, the nhow Concept hotel bridges the the physical needs of visitors and the modern digital age of material rich environments together in an unexpected twist of industrial architecture. The building itself celebrates the cities constantly evolving spirit and mood with a series of brick structures and forms dancing off each-other. Cantilevered 25 metres above the ground, Architects NPS Tchoban Voss suspend a four-storey mirrored metallic block out from the top of the hotel signalling a structure in motion.
nhow Concept Hotel. Spree River between East and West Berlin.
This combination of industrial styled local Berlin architecture with an unexpected hip twist affords the building just the right level of playful street cred. The mixture of materials and form intermingle to contain 310 rooms and two restaurants, music facilities and sound studios, a spa area, art gallery, and a convention centre complete underground car parking. The extraordinary complex and detailed interiors are connected to the hotel with technorganic data-driven art and environments specially designed by Karim himself.
“I always question whether the physical world is as experiential, as seductive, as connective, as inspiring, as personalizable, and customizable as the digital world”
No more is the connection, movement and materiality more dramatic than in his one of a kind elevators. Rachid’ first venture at customizing these moving rooms. Guests are hailed into his imaginary world the moment the doors open to reveal glowing neon green and pink elevator cabs. The electric coloured powder-coated walls feel like a glossy plastic toy while the oversized elevator buttons give off a playfulness that’s noteworthy even for Rachid.
“I tried to address all the needs that are intrinsic to living in a simpler less cluttered, more sensual environment. I always question whether the physical world is as experiential, as seductive, as connective, as inspiring, as personalizable, and customizable as the digital world.” says Rachid, before adding “This is what I tried to achieve with nhow Hotel Berlin by making a space that coexists with the data-driven digital info-stethic world."
Experiential, seductive, and inspiring is precisely what it feels like to move throughout the building. From the psychedelic elevators, current-like carpeting to the techno-retro wall coverings — Rachid has effectually surfaced the entire building in one-of-a-kind finishes straight out of his imagination. With adrenaline-filled highs, the compositions, furniture and spaces are as rich and thoughtful as ever.
Karim Rachid demonstrates a masterful level of control over a space that sometimes looks out of control. Caroline Williamson from Design Milk sat down with Karim to get a better understanding of his process and to explore where some of these musical forms come from. More importantly she chatting with him about the tracks and sounds around his studio.
Do you require music in the background? If so, who are some favorites?
Absolutely! There is a hard drive with 30,000 songs that we play in the office. We generally play a mix of electro, house, ambient, down tempo, day disco, electronica, and space age. If music is abstract (minimal vocals and not nostalgic) then it affords me to concentrate, be inspired, dream, imagine, and become completely engrossed in what I am working on. It is an essential part of my process. Old music takes me places that I don’t want to go.
The nhow Concept is was a deserved hit for the NH Hotel Group as well as a massive success for the sonic-maximalist. By refusing typical notions of interior decor, or nostalgic forms and images, Rachid is exceeding expectations from even the worlds most experienced traveller. Everyone is sure to feel special in this culmination of art, design and colour. Clearly, all the electro pop and day disco has paid off.
