Dakota: House of Design
The brief was to create a stylish 72-bedroom hotel in the heart of Edinburgh City New Town, incorporating the uniqueness and individuality of the Malmaison brand. Each hotel dares to be different and is designed with the location and architecture of the buildings in mind, as well as local history and popular attractions, to create a story, while keeping the design sophisticated, elegant and timeless. The design needed to create an extraordinary experience for all of their guests. The central story at Edinburgh City is juxtaposition, told through the bold design- highlighting existing features with a contemporary twist; rich colours, royal tones, relating to Edinburgh Castle, traditional artwork – work of that era but displayed in a modern way, Large feature furniture creating statements using contrasting materials. The reception 3D canopy is one on the key aspects of the project. The concept of this feature was juxtaposition of the thistle versus the rose. The thistle, Scotland’s national emblem and one of the streets located in the New Town. The rose England’s national emblem and another street located in the New Town. This feature also demonstrated another form of juxtaposition: hard versus soft. Thistle -hard and harsh shown in the robust materials used for the reception pods. Rose – delicate and beautiful shown in the soft textures used for the panelling to the backdrop of the reception.
The design integrates with the wider environment as the street names are incorporated into the story through the reception feature and on throughout the hotel. One particular landmark in the New Town is the Scottish National Portrait Gallery and because of this Dakota have used traditional artwork in a contemporary way such as blown up pixelated artwork in the suite bedroom headboards.