A couple of doors down, Vyne, another Concrete project, offers a variety of wines by the glass in a gorgeous space that manager Jan Gryspeere describes as a bridge. “On one side is all natural colors, leather and wood,” he explains after serving my husband and me a tasting-size trio of Rhones in gourmet stemware. “The other half of the bar represents the new, with mirrors, green lighting and stainless steel.” As we relax on soft leather banquets, enjoying our wine, across from us eerie green light emanates from modern stainless steel coolers whose glass doors reveal hundreds of artfully arranged wine bottles. Somehow the contrasting elements in Vyne aren’t divisive; instead, a Zen-like calm pervades.
Concrete’s vision is exemplified by a new chain of affordable hotels the firm designed called citizenM—short for mobile citizens. The first property opened in 2008 at Schipol Airport in Amsterdam, a second citizenM opened last year in the city center, and a third is planned for Glasgow, Scotland. From outside, the hotel at Schipol appears rather boxy, but when you walk in the door, you’ll find yourself in an innovative space that will especially appeal to modern adventurers—Holiday Inn this is not.
Kiosks in the lobby offer hassle-free self check-in, although citizenM “ambassadors” are on hand to assist if you should need help. After entering your personal information, you receive your key, a card that keeps track of your preferences for use during future visits. Personal settings include lighting, music, temperature, and wake-up calls.
But it’s the futuristic accommodations at citizenM that distinguish it from other hotels. The rooms are quite small (about 150 square feet), and half the space is taken up by a “super” king-sized bed—topped by a fluffy white comforter. Next to the bed is a wall-to-wall window, above which nestles a flat screen TV. The bathroom and closet take up the other half of the room, but there’s no wall separating the two areas. Instead, curved doors slide from behind the wall to create two round booths—one for the shower and one for the toilet—reminding me of Star Trek transporters.
Another forward-feeling design property is Artemis Design Hotel on the north side of Amsterdam, which offers stylish accommodations in a comfortable environment. When you walk into the lobby, you’ll immediately notice how uncluttered and spacious the area feels, thanks to high ceilings, large windows and clean white walls. De Stijl, the hotel’s trendy restaurant, draws its name and inspiration from a Dutch artistic movement that followed WWI. Painter Piet Mondrian, whose works feature primary colors and geometric shapes, helped advance this artistic style, also known as neoplasticism. Its influence was felt by renowned Dutch architects Gerrit Rietveld and Mies van der Rohe.
Latest Comments