citizenM: for all Citizens of the World
citizenM London Bankside, UK , designed by Concrete, has won the ‘World’s Best Hotel / Leisure Building’ award at the World Architecture Festival (WAF ) Awards 2013. The judging of the WAF Awards is taking place during the global celebration of architecture – the World Architecture Festival, which is being held at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore this week. The building was selected by a jury of some of the world’s most dynamic architectural and urban designers. It overcame competition from a shortlist of 15 entries.
citizenM is a new Dutch hotel group that opened citizenM Bankside, the fourth hotel that offers mobile citizens of the world affordable luxury in the heart of the city. The concept is to cut out all hidden costs and unnecessary items, to provide its guests a luxury feel for a budget price. The rooms are stacked on a ground floor with a dynamic lobby, living room space and F&B functions including a public accessible cafe.
The building has landed in the upcoming neighborhood of Southwark. The location provided the possibility to position two blocks of rooms behind each other, which results in the first citizenM with a courtyard. This courtyard is designed as outdoor living room, creating a beautiful oasis in the heart of the hotel and brings daylight into the rooms, societyM and the public life of the hotel. There are terraces on several floors that can be used for drinks, some fresh air, or a smoke if you still have this habit.
The public areas of this hotel are the first in a new generation for citizenM. The space is divided in several living and working rooms where you can find the environments you need to work, socialize, and relax. You can choose a living room with a cozy fireplace or go for a more cafe style environment. Choose to work at the communal tables or enjoy a croissant in the courtyard.
Netherlands based architectural practice Concrete created the concept of citizenM as a holistic plan. It sets the boundaries for every creative process in all disciplines involved in the citizenM hotels. Concrete itself is responsible for the interior as well as the architectural design, with the corporation of local architects in the execution design.
THE DESIGN STORY
The building: The building has landed in the upcoming neighborhood of Southwark, an area that traditionally has been dominated by industrial warehouses. This reference was used to create a building that refers to the past by using a colour and material that is a reinterpretation of the sand coloured London stock bricks, formerly used to construct warehouses. This modular build citizenM hotel is carefully covered with custom-made brick patterned concrete panels.
Within this hotel the connection with art is much more important than before. Not only because it’s located close to the Tate Modern, but also because art gives guests the possibility to look in another way at the world. Not just on the inside of the hotel but also on the outside of the building.
This gives not only citizenM’s guests, but also Londoners the possibility to have this moment of reflection and give the artist a great platform to perform. The citizenM Bankside hotel displays an amazing new work by Mark Titchner called “Another world is possible.”
The façade: Sand coloured stone panels with special designed brickwork pattern are referring to the warehouse architecture of the neighbourhood. Within this robust volume big glass windows of the rooms are pushed out. The various depths of these aluminium frames give an individual twist to the rigid. The large glass windows on the ground are placed within the building block, creating a natural transfer between inside and outside. They clearly show the vibrant life of the living rooms, cafe and lobby facing space towards the street. Two wooden entrance boxes clearly indicate the entrances towards the café and the hotel lobby.
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Materials provided by Concrete
Photo: Richard Powers