Fooks smart speaker makes your smartphone redundant as your music supply

The typical routine is that you pair your phone to your speaker, pull out your playlist on your favorite app and then listen to your tunes. The Fooks cuts the middleman – here it’s your Smartphone – and makes it redundant in terms of hosting and playing your songs. All you need to do is tune it directly via the speaker, as it hosts an impressive interface and spacious display.

Navigate to your favorite music app or simply download your songs – and what I love the most is that you can rate and search for your music, right from the device. It makes it so much simpler but cutting out the phone.

Although it’s not mentioned, I’m hoping there is backward integration, so that the new music you pick, can reside in your phone as well. This ways, it’s always going to be about the music and clear sound, and not about the device!

Designer: Onurhan Demir

Design Job: Design In The North: The Anchorage Museum is seeking a designer in Anchorage, Alaska

The Anchorage Museum connects people, expands perspectives, and encourages global dialog about the North and its distinct environment. Exploring the intersection of art, history and science, the Anchorage Museum shares multiple perspectives and experiences that tell a greater story. We welcome diverse perspectives and recognize all are enriched when a

See the full job details or check out all design jobs at Coroflot.

Dezeen to host first ever Dezeen Day design conference

Dezeen Day

Dezeen is launching an international architecture, interiors and design conference called Dezeen Day. The first edition will be held in London on 30 October.

The conference will aim to set the agenda for the global design community, tackling key topics including circular design, new materials and education. It will also highlight new talent from around the world and feature a keynote lecture from a leading international figure.

Dezeen Day will take place at a prestigious central London location on the same day as the Dezeen Awards winners’ party, where award winners from around the world will receive their trophies.

Dezeen Day will “put our editorial values on a stage”

“Dezeen’s mission is to set the agenda for the world’s design community,” said founder and editor-in-chief Marcus Fairs. “Dezeen Day will allow us to put our editorial values on a stage, where we will explore the most pressing issues facing designers.”

Dezeen Day is designed to appeal to all Dezeen readers, Dezeen Awards entrants and anyone with a keen interest in contemporary architecture and design.

“Last year hundreds of architects and designers travelled to London for the Dezeen Awards winners party,” Fairs added. “This year we want to offer them a full programme of activities so they go back home inspired, enriched, having made dozens of new friends and contacts.”

The event is also designed to appeal to business leaders, opinion formers, policy makers, media and anyone with an interest in the importance of design and how it can improve the world.

The conference will feature a mixture of panel discussions, keynote lectures, short presentations and movie screenings.

Further details including ticket prices will be announced soon. To register your interest and receive updates please enter your details below.

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Hayri Atak Architectural Design Studio proposes cantilevering glass pool over Norwegian fjord

Cliff Concept Boutique Hotel by Hayri Atak Architectural Design Studio in Norway

Hayri Atak Architectural Design Studio has designed a concept for a boutique hotel within a cliff edge in Norway that includes a cantilevered glass swimming pool.

Istanbul practice Hayri Atak Architectural Design Studio proposed building the hotel on a site 600-metres-high on Preikestolen – a steep cliff and popular tourist spot in the west of Norway that overhangs the Lysefjorden fjord.

It is intended to recreate the thrill of embarking on hiking trails around the cliff, and capture the feeling of “living on and beyond the edge”.

Cliff Concept Boutique Hotel with cantilevered swimming pool by Hayri Atak Architectural Design Studio in Norway

“Preikestolen has been one of the most exciting places to me through the years. One day a friend of mine sent me photos of ‘the rock’ she captured during her Norway trip,” explained the studio’s founder Hayri Atak.

“Even though I wasn’t there, I experienced the adrenaline of being on the edge. Then I dreamed of living on and beyond the edge. Simply, I just wanted carry this experience beyond the edge and the idea of having this experience inspired me,” he told Dezeen.

Hayri Atak Architectural Design Studio’s visuals imagine the entrance to the hotel on top of the cliff, which is has a naturally flat surface. This would also double as a giant public viewing platform.

Guests would then be led down inside the hotel where the studio has proposed nine guest suites and shared lounge area, which are all embedded within the rockface.

The rooms are divided over three floors, and open out onto a shared balconies that jut out from the edge to offer uninterrupted views of the fjord and surrounding mountains.

Cliff Concept Boutique Hotel with cantilevered swimming pool by Hayri Atak Architectural Design Studio in Norway

Below, the lounge has a shared balcony that extends out further from those belonging to the guest bedrooms, and has a giant outdoor swimming pool.

Designed for the “more adventurous visitors”, the long, narrow pool cantilevers precariously out from the edge of the balcony and is made entirely from glass to immerse swimmers within the landscape and the sheer drop below.

“I think this is equal to swimming in gravity-free environment. The pool was one and only design element of project at the beginning,” added Atak.

“The hotel can be considered a part or an extension of the cliff. I thought that experiencing beyond the edge is much more thrilling in a pool rather than a balcony”.

Compass Pools also recently proposed a dramatic concept swimming pool named Infinity London. Imagined on top of a tower in London, it would become the world’s first 360-degree infinity pool and would be accessed via a submarine-style door.

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Archismith creates secret garden within The Glass Fortress

The Glass Fortress in Bangkok, Thailand, by Archismith

Bangkok architecture studio Archismith has built a garden enclosed by 20,000 glass bricks as part of a sales office for a residential development in Bangkok, Thailand.

Named The Glass Fortress, the sales gallery has been longlisted in the Dezeen Awards 2019 within the business building category.

The Glass Fortress in Bangkok, Thailand, by Archismith

Archismith designed the space to be largely disconnected from its site as a rival developer’s sales gallery is located nearby.

The main building is set back from the street with a protruding block constructed from glass bricks acting as an entrance pavilion and enclosing a garden.

The Glass Fortress in Bangkok, Thailand, by Archismith

“Eight-metre-high walls cut off pollution such as traffic noise and the untidy scenery of the MRT line construction in front so that a serene atmosphere can be created inside the building,” said Jirawit Yamkleeb, co-founder of Archismith.

“To reduce the claustrophobic feeling of the space, glass block was chosen as the main material since it serves the purpose and natural light can still get through,” he told Dezeen.

The Glass Fortress in Bangkok, Thailand, by Archismith

Within the glass brick walls – which are supported on a steel frame – is a secret garden with trees planted on either side of a central path. A water-misting system has been installed to help control the temperature of the garden on hot days.

According to the architect, this space is meant to represent a large garden that will be built as part of the apartment development.

“There is a big garden provided at the main development so the garden at the sales gallery is created to demonstrate the feeling of ‘living with nature’,” said Yamkleeb.

The Glass Fortress in Bangkok, Thailand, by Archismith

The glass-brick walls continue inside the main building where they enclose a seating area.

Alongside this light-filled space is a room containing models of the development, which leads onto two show apartments and offices for the sales persons.

The Glass Fortress in Bangkok, Thailand, by Archismith

In total 20,000 glass bricks were used to create The Glass Fortress. Each of the rectangular bricks used has edges that extend to partially conceal the grouting. This detail reduced the visible grouting from a standard 10 millimetres to two millimetres.

“This detail is important for the aesthetic of the project as it helps to create a more continuous look of the glass facade,” added Yamkleeb.

The Glass Fortress in Bangkok, Thailand, by Archismith

Although the sales office has been built on rented land, there is an agreement in place that the glass-brick structure will be retained when the land is returned.

“We are unsure of the future program of the building in the landlord’s mind but it could be used as a cafe with a nice garden inside or an Airbnb since there are already two rooms with attached bathrooms available. The future MRT station is very near so this holds great possibilities,” explained Yamkleeb.

The Glass Fortress in Bangkok, Thailand, by Archismith

The Glass Fortress is one of 267 architecture projects that has been longlisted for Dezeen Awards 2019. Other projects on the longlisted include a pastel-pink church hall and a house on the Great Wall of China.

Photography is by Spaceshift Studio, except main image by Sky Ground and unless stated.


Project credits:

Architect: Archismith
Team: Jirawit Yamkleeb, Sukonthip Sa-ngiamvongse, Takol Pattanopas, Thanaphon Phumipanchaphak
Client: Sansiri PLC
Landscape designer: Landscape Studio by Arsomsilp
Interior designer: Six Seven S
Structural engineer: 2-R Engineering
Mechanical engineer: V Group Engineer
Main contractor: TTS Engineering

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This portable blender is as easy on the eyes as it is to use!

What are the two primary requirements from a portable blender? First, to blend the contents thoroughly yet efficiently, and second, to remain compact enough to be portable, so it’s pretty key that any portable blender nails these two aspects! The Portable Blender from the team at Second White certainly has both these areas covered; much like the assortment of beautiful products that Second White has launched in the past, this concept shares the same elegant beauty and honest functionality.

The sharp, aggressive form of the blade has been concealed by a sleeve that sits around the flask; the sleeve also breaks up the transparent container whilst introducing a splash of color to the product. It gracefully harmonizes with our busy day-to-day lives and encourages us to have a healthier lifestyle.

Designer: Second White

Hotel group Adjara is "playing a crucial role" in Georgia's cultural renaissance, say creatives

Fabrica hostel in Tbilisi, Georgia

Georgian hospitality group Adjara has made a name for itself converting brutalist Soviet-era buildings into boutique hotels, including the award-winning Stamba Hotel in Tbilisi. It has also helped nurture a new generation of Georgian creative talents.

Local artists and designers say the group’s support has helped elevate the creative industries in the country.

“The importance of Adjara Group is huge,” said Tamuna Gvaberidze, a gallerist and design consultant from Georgia’s capital Tbilisi. “They created a lifestyle and provided a hub for creative people.”

Georgia, which sits between Europe and Asia in the South Caucasus region, is currently considered one of the world’s hottest travel destinations and home to one of the most vibrant creative scenes.

Hotels “played a crucial role” in Georgia’s cultural revival

Adjara Group has helped both, said Gvaberidze, who runs Window Project gallery in the capital.

“They don’t follow regular hotel business rules,” she said. “They contribute a lot to the Georgian art scene, tourism development and the growth of the whole country.”

“Projects like the Stamba and Rooms hotels have played a crucial role in the cultural renaissance and development of our country in many ways,” agreed Nata Janberidze and Keti Toloraia of Tbilisi design studio Rooms Design, who described the group’s approach as “maverick”.

Adjara Group's Stamba Hotel in Tbilisi
The Adjara Group’s properties include the award-winning Stamba Hotel in Tbilisi

But there is a commercial logic behind this approach, according to Adjara Group CEO Valeri Chekheria.

“Wherever you go, all the international hotels give you exactly the same experience,” he said. “When you wake up, you don’t know which city you’re in. In Georgia, we want people to get this local experience with local food and culture.”

Adjara aims to help promote Georgian culture

The objective is to introduce visitors to contemporary Georgian culture, said Levan Berulava, the group’s managing director.

“We support local artists, we give them spaces, give them all the opportunities for their ambition,” he said. “We invite lots of musicians to come and stay in our places to help develop the clubs and music scene.”

“Our public spaces are also used for non-commercial pop-up events, public talks and so on.”

The group’s hotels, which also include the Rooms Hotel and the Fabrika hostel in Tbilisi, and another Rooms Hotel at Kazbegi in the mountainous north of the country, are all conversions of spartan institutional buildings constructed when Georgia was a republic of the Soviet Union.

The Fabrika hostel is Tbilisi
The Fabrika hostel includes spaces for non-commercial pop-up events

An undeveloped wing of the Stamba Hotel is set aside to provide free studio space for artists and designers. Called Stamba D Block, this floor houses edgy talents such as designer and rapper Max Machaidze and arts organisation Propaganda Network and hosts experimental exhibitions and gigs.

It commissions local architects and designers to work alongside its in-house design studio, Adjara Arch Group.

The group’s first own-brand hotel, Rooms Hotel in Kazbegi, was a collaboration with Rooms Design, who are also working on the interiors of the group’s latest venture, Rooms Hotel Kokhta, which is due to open later this year.

Adjara Group hotel uniforms
Each of Adjara Group’s hotels has a uniform designed in collaboration with a local designer

The company collaborates with local fashion designers to create uniforms for its staff, and has a “hotel atelier” based at Stamba Hotel that employs a dozen designers and tailors under the direction of costume designer Tinatin Kvinikadze. Uniforms are created for each new hotel, and styles change with the seasons.

“We work with different Georgian fashion designers,” said Chekheria. “We collaborate with them every season.”

The group works with local farmers to source produce for its restaurants and has launched its own agro-entrepreneurship programme, buying over 4,000 hectares of agricultural land in Kakheti in the east of Georgia to grow food for its restaurants and develop a parallel agro-tourism project.

Indoor vertical farm at the Stamba Hotel
Georgia’s first indoor vertical farm is located in the Stamba Hotel

At Stamba Hotel it has created Georgia’s first indoor vertical farm. Under the leadership of entrepreneur Tusya Gharibashvili, the 200-square-metre installation features seven levels that grow vegetables, berries and salad, using 75 per cent less water than traditional farming methods and supplying the hotel with fresh, organic produce.

The group also supports local cultural institutions including the Tbilisi Architecture Biennial, helped set up the Tbilisi Photo Festival, and is creating a photography museum at Stamba Hotel.

Gigi Shukakidze, co-founder of the Tbilisi Architecture Biennial, said the group had been “big contributors” to the local creative scene. “They have been supported quite a few festivals, public lectures, as well as individual artists’ works,” he said.

Adjara Group has grown dramatically since first hotel in 2010

Launched just after Georgia’s traumatic 2008 war with Russia, which resulted in the ongoing occupation of part of the country by its huge neighbour, Adjara Group has come to embody the country’s independent and individualistic spirit.

The company, now the largest hospitality group in Georgia, opened its first hotel in 2010, when it secured a franchise to create a Holiday Inn in the capital Tbilisi.

“We started the group in 2010, after the war,” Chekheria told Dezeen. “That was a very difficult time for Georgia, so we needed some kind of trust from customers. They didn’t want to stay in local hotels at that time, so we bought the first Holiday Inn franchise in Georgia.”

Working with Rooms Design, they converted the Soviet-era Adjara Hotel into a destination that is more stylish and contemporary than the typical international chain hotel.

Rooms Hotel Kazbeki in Georgia
Rooms Hotel in Kazbeki was the first hotel in the country to become a member of the Design Hotels network

They launched their next project themselves, converting an abandoned Soviet-era sanatorium overlooking Kazbek mountain into the first Rooms Hotel.

“When we went there it was just the structure of the building, and like everything else was destroyed,” said Chekheria. “We found the old architectural drawings and we kept the structure of the building.”

The exterior of the hotel has been clad in timber while the interior is decorated in an eclectic style based on New York interiors, with large, open plan public spaces, rough wooden floors and a mix of vintage and contemporary furniture.

“It’s inspired by New York in the 1930s,” said Chekharia.

The hotel, the first in Georgia to become a member of the Design Hotels network, became an instant success and was followed by a second Rooms Hotel in the Vera district of Tbilisi, in a wing of a derelict publishing house where Communist newspapers were printed.

Each project designed to be “super local”

Stamba Hotel, which occupies another wing of the same building and takes its name from the Georgian word for printing, opened in 2018. The hotel’s atrium retains the dramatic multi-storey concrete void of the original building and the conveyor belts that moved newspapers around as they were printed. It was named New Concept of the Year at the AHEAD international hotel awards.

Prior to that, working with Multiverse Architecture, they turned a former garment factory in Tbilisi’a Chughureti district into Fabrika, a multi-functional space that contains a hostel, a co-working space, studios and bars.

In each project the approach has been similar. “The concept is to refurbish the old,” said Berulava.

“We look for places that have a history behind them, this Soviet brutalism, and we keep the soul and show their history,” said Chekheria. “And we think it should be super local each time, very local to the place, whether it’s in a village, the countryside or a town.”

Max Machaidze at the Stamba Hotel in Tbilisi
Max Machaidze created plants pots from ceramic isolators at the Stamba Hotel

The upcoming hotel Rooms Hotel Kokhta, however, located at the Bakuriani ski resort, will be the group’s first new-build venture. Nata Janberidze and Keti Toloraia of Rooms Design, who are working on the interiors, said the project will be “different from everything you’ve seen before”.

The group is owned by Temur Ugulava, who provides much of the creative vision for the hotels and other projects, which include restaurants and bars.

Janberidze and Toloraia described Ugulava as a “fantastic entrepreneur and visionary, but an excellent designer as well.” 

“He is a super creative guy,” agreed designer Max Machaidze, who worked with Ugulava on Stamba Hotel, providing artworks and objects including the huge vintage ceramic isolators that serve as plant pots throughout the venue and the electricity pylon that sits in the courtyard.

“He designed the whole thing by himself and I was assisting him with that. It was like a ping-pong thought exchange process.”

Adjara Group planning to expand internationally

Two further hotels are being planned for Georgia’s Black Sea coast, but Adjara Group also plans take their concept to America.

“We’re ready to go international, and we think that it’s a good time to go and do something in New York,” said Chekharia. “We were there a couple of times to look for some buildings.”

Chekharia and Berulava both lived in New York earlier in their careers and say the city was an inspiration for their hospitality projects back in their home country.

“We lived in a backwater here in the 90s when the Soviet Union collapsed,” said Chekharia. “It was a very dark time. When you are in New York, where you get a good education and good experience, the time comes for you to pay your country back.”

Berulava added that they wanted to put the country, once famed for its hospitality, culture and cuisine, back on the world map.

“Georgia was on the Silk Road,” he said. “For centuries it was a crossroads. We have our own culture, our own music, food, wine. We are different.”

“And we decided to do it,” said Chekharia. “To help build the new Georgia based on all our traditions. We want to share this amazing secret of this country to have with everybody.”

Photography is courtesy of Adjara Group.

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Fashion "needs to rapidly develop" beyond animal leather says Helsinki Fashion Week director

Ultrafabrics at Helsinki Fashion Week

Fashion designers and brands need to start swapping animal leather for sustainable alternatives, or risk alienating themselves from consumers, says Evelyn Mora, director of Helsinki Fashion Week.

Mora believes the fashion industry can expect a major upheaval, as customers start to demand more eco-friendly products.

“I think that in the near future there’s going to be a big shift,” she told Dezeen. “Everybody is going to take a big leap towards sustainable fashion.”

“Right now we are all talk, everybody is talking about how important sustainability is, but we need to see results.”

Consumers demand change from big brands

According to Mora, we will see significant changes in the next three years, particularly from companies like LVMH and Kering, which between them own labels including Céline, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent.

She points to Chanel as an example – the fashion house recently announced a ban on the use of skins from exotic animals like snakes and crocodiles, as it felt it was unable to source them ethically.

Evelyn Mora is director of Helsinki Fashion Week
Evelyn Mora, 27, is director of Helsinki Fashion Week

“Things are going to change. In the near future, maybe two to three years latest, it will happen for sure,” said Mora.

“The companies have to go where the money is, and that’s where the consumers are – they are changing their minds and they’re starting to be more conscious.”

Leather banned from Helsinki Fashion Week

Animal leather was banned from the catwalks at Helsinki Fashion Week 2019, which took place in the Finnish capital from 19 to 22 July. Designers were instead encouraged to work with plant-based leathers and other sustainable textiles.

Shohei at Helsinki Fashion Week 2019
Austrian fashion house Shohei is working with leather-like textiles by Ultrafabrics

Austrian fashion house Shohei was among those that took notice. Its show featured textiles from New York-based brand Ultrafabrics, which manufactures a range of innovative leather-like materials.

The event also featured an exhibition from the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, which is developing a leather substitute made from mushroom mycelium, and a space called the Bio Playground, where brands showcased pioneering materials and responsible supply chains.

“These problems are solvable”

Mora said the aim of this year’s event was to send a message to the industry that it can no longer ignore the impact that leather farming has on the environment, particularly its contribution to climate change.

She wants Helsinki Design Week to go beyond the traditional role of a fashion event and become a platform that facilitates change through innovation.

“We believe the industry needs to rapidly develop,” said Mora. “We’ve done extensive research on the animal leather industry, on the whole supply chain, and we have come to the conclusion that these problems are solvable.”

“I really appreciate companies who have the courage to start to develop things,” she added. “I really want bigger companies to be okay with the fact that they don’t have everything figured out. But they need to start taking steps and we can help them develop.”

Ultrafabrics at Helsinki Fashion Week
Ultrafabrics presented its textiles in a space called the Bio Playground

Mora launched Helsinki Fashion Week in 2012, aged just 22. Featuring both Nordic and international designers, the event had a focus on sustainable fashion from the start, although this year’s was the first to introduce a leather ban.

The move follows the wider growing trend for vegan design, led by designers and brands like Stella McCartney and Erez Nevi Pana. Among the latest plant-based products to go on sale are Native Shoes’ Plant Shoe and Buffy’s feather-free bedding.

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Five designers making fashion more sustainable at Helsinki Fashion Week 2019

Shohei at Helsinki Fashion Week 2019

With leather banned at the recent Helsinki Fashion Week, designers were exploring more eco-friendly materials and supply chains. Director Evelyn Mora names the five designers that made the biggest impression.

The fifth Helsinki Design Week took place in the Finnish capital from 19 to 22 July. Although the event has been focused on sustainable fashion since launch, the 2019 edition was the first to ban leather from the catwalks.

Designers presented looks that brought together innovative new textiles, recycled materials and ethical manufacturing practices.

Mora has selected the five designers that most inspired her:


Patrick McDowell at Helsinki Fashion Week 2019

Patrick McDowell

Patrick McDowell was thrown into the spotlight last year with his graduate collection from Central Saint Martins. The British designer made garments using waste fabrics he sourced from Burberry – a brand that has been criticised for burning old stock – in a bid to change the system.

He is building on these ideas with his latest collection, which is designed to show that environmentally friendly clothing doesn’t have to be boring.

“Fashion is not always about clothing, it’s also about what you stand for,” said Mora. “Patrick is making a statement, that creativity is something that we must still remember in sustainable fashion.”


ABCH at Helsinki Fashion Week 2019

ABCH

Melbourne-based label ABCH promotes the circular economy in every collection. Led by designer Courtney Holm, it only uses raw materials that naturally biodegrade or can be reused, and it operates a recycling programme that helps to prevent old garments going into landfill.

At Helsinki Fashion Week, it presented a range of minimal pieces in simple shapes and basic colours, designed to be timeless and versatile.

“ABCH is one of the few commercial brands that has succeeded in not only making the industry more transparent but also in actively engaging with its audience to inspire them to make conscious choices,” said Mora.


Shohei at Helsinki Fashion Week 2019

Shohei

Austrian fashion house Shohei describes its products as “eco-conscious contemporary collections for global progressives”.

The new collection combines elements of classic Japanese and European design, and reinvents them in high-tech, sustainable fabrics. Highlights include a kimono style jacket and trousers with zippers, both made using a leather alternative by textile brand Ultrafabrics.

“We’re showcasing sustainable designers that are globally interesting and speak to a global audience,” said Mora.


Mandali Mendrilla at Helsinki Fashion Week 2019

Mandali Mendrilla

Belgian designer Mandali Mendrilla is trying to promote a sustainable mindset in her collections. She only uses vegetarian-friendly materials, and combines these with a process she calls Yantra Couture, which involves creating custom patterns based on natural vibrations.

At Helsinki Fashion Week, the designer showed vividly coloured garments made using both recycled silk and peace silk, along with natural dyes and the dust of 16 crystals.

“Fashion is an industry where we can actually communicate sustainable values and encourage the younger generation to be aware and conscious of the decisions that they make every day,” said Mora. “That spirituality is Mandali Mendrilla – it’s mindfulness that she focuses on.”

“I actually cried at her fashion show,” she added. “She had bells attached to the models legs and I can’t describe the powerful energy it created.”


Kata Szegedi at Helsinki Fashion Week 2019

Kata Szegedi

Hungarian designer Kata Szegedi often uses custom-made and recycled fabrics in her designs, which brings greater transparency to the manufacturing process. Her latest collection sees her textiles transformed into immaculately tailored suits, dresses and playsuits.

“She really wants to embrace new textures,” said Mora. “She takes vintage materials and reuses them, recycles them, in a way that brings the creative perspective of the designer forward.”

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Portugal's eight-room Dá Licença hotel offers a "more personalised" guest experience

Dá Licença hotel by Vitor Borges and Franck Laigneau

Vitor Borges and Franck Laigneau set one-off vintage furnishings against whitewashed walls to create a series of unique spaces inside this boutique hotel in southeast Portugal.

Dá Licença is located a few miles outside the historic city of Estremoz, perched atop a hilly 120-hectare plot of land that’s blanketed in mature olive trees.

With a total of just eight guest rooms, the hotel has been developed by creatives Vitor Borges and Franck Laigneau to be more akin to a guesthouse where visitors “already feel at home”.

Dá Licença hotel by Vitor Borges and Franck Laigneau

“Today in Europe, where can you find a place that is still preserved? This is why we decided to do something very discreet – the region gives the impulse to retreat into nature, for slow living,” Laigneau explained to Dezeen.

“We have all the services of a hotel, but in a more personalised way.”

Dá Licença hotel by Vitor Borges and Franck Laigneau

The land had previously been host to the ruins of agricultural outhouses that were used by a convent of nuns in the mid-19th-century to grow vegetables, and later by a commune of farmers to produce olive oil in the 1980s.

Borges and Laigneau enlisted the help of locally based architecture practice Procale to transform them into three whitewashed buildings that could host the hotel’s amenities.

Dá Licença hotel by Vitor Borges and Franck Laigneau

One building accommodates a series of communal spaces. These include the dining area, which is centred by a tapered hanging sculpture with a bark-like surface, and a living room, where sage-green armchairs are arranged around a stone coffee table.

An adjacent library-style room boasts floor-to-ceiling bookshelves.

Dá Licença hotel by Vitor Borges and Franck Laigneau

Here there are also two guest rooms and two suites, both of which come complete with their own private pool and sun loungers shaded by straw umbrellas.

The remaining rooms are spread across two other buildings that also have simple white-painted surfaces.

Dá Licença hotel by Vitor Borges and Franck Laigneau

Decor is provided by a selection of furnishings and ornaments produced during the 20th-century arts and crafts movement, which Borges and Laigneau have picked up on their travels throughout Europe.

“[The hotel] isn’t meant to be a museum. There is art everywhere, but informally so; it is not intended to be exhibition-like and imposing,” the pair explained.

Dá Licença hotel by Vitor Borges and Franck Laigneau

In a subtle nod to Estremoz’s marble-rich terrain, the natural stone has been used to craft sink basins, bath tubs, and pink-hued shower cubicles.

Throughout the hotel, doors have also been swapped for arched open walkways – a move which Borges and Laigneau hope will encourage guests to move freely between rooms and let cooling air flow during the warm summer months.

Dá Licença hotel by Vitor Borges and Franck Laigneau

“There is a minimal and monastic side to Dá Licença, but it is never less than cosy and inviting,” explained the pair.

“Luxury here is also about space and time. There is room to socialise but there is no lack of places to be by yourself.”

Dá Licença hotel by Vitor Borges and Franck Laigneau

A below-ground room that was once dedicated to oil pressing has been transformed into a space where Laigneau can display personally favoured pieces he’s acquired during his time spent working at an art gallery.

Dining tables and chairs are dotted in between, allowing the space to double-up as a 30-cover restaurant.

Dá Licença hotel by Vitor Borges and Franck Laigneau

As tourists seek to explore parts of Portugal that lie beyond already popular spots like Lisbon and Porto, hotels are increasingly popping up in the country’s rural regions.

Two years ago PROD converted an 18th-century manor house in the village of Ponte de Lima into a hotel, where bedrooms are organised around an internal courtyard. In 2016 Par created guest accommodation on the edge of the Algarve’s Ria Formosa lagoon which features staircases on its front facade that lead up to a roof terrace.

Photography is by Francisco Nogueira.

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