Design stories
May 30, 2012

Design Hotel Lone – Architecture in tourism

Hotel Lone (2011) is an example of focused investment into the quality of an object and its content by designing the identity of a hotel through original furniture and accompanying equipment, which, initially designed for the hotel, can generate a further symbiosis between design and the furniture industry. One of its result is the rise of competitiveness of an industry, as well as all the industries participating in tourism.

Maistra has opened a completely new dimension of meaning regarding the tourist offer in Croatia, not only thanks to the Design Hotel Lone but by renovating other hotels and creating an infrastructure that revives and repositions Rovinj as an attractive tourist destination with a high criteria of quality.

339 million kunas has been invested into Hotel Lone, but credit for the strategic positioning of the hotel into the exclusive chain of Design Hotels TM goes to the endeavors of studio 3LHD, author of the hotel’s architecture, that was recognized by Maistra’s management and CEO Tomislav Popovic at the right moment.

3LHD partners. Photo: Lana Cavar.

Lone was designed by architects from the renown 3LHD architectural studio, winner of important Croatian and international awards, including the award for best building in the category Sport at the first World Architecture Festival WAF 2008, IOC/IAKS Bronze Medal Award 2009 and IOC/IAKS Silver Medal Award 2011 for best architectural achievement in sports and recreation facilities, AR Award (UK), ID Award (USA); and Croatian professional awards Drago Galić (2008), Bernando Bernardi (2009; 2005), Viktor Kovačić (2011; 2001), and Vladimir Nazor (2009; 1999).

Most of the furniture in Hotel Lone is coming from Element series, with some products specifically designed for the hotel.

This first design hotel in Croatia, is situated in Rovinj’s most attractive tourist zone, in a unique and protected region of the Monte Mulini forest on the Lone Bay. The term Design Hotel is meant to illustrate a space that nurtures the concept of interesting and functional design, in this case created by a team of renowned Croatian creatives comprised of a new generation of architects, conceptual artists, product, fashion and graphic designers. Part of it is the uniqe project by the design brand Element – known for its furniture made of massive oak, mostly implemented in the hotel’s interior. Specifically for Lone, Element has developed a new lamp series, folding chairs and deck-chairs, designed by Numen/ForUse.

The hotel’s identity is recognized through the external design of the building. Photo: 3LHD.

Hotel’s architecture

The surrounding ambiance is the hotel’s signature which also defines all views of the interior. The ambient light and Mediterranean greenery reflect on the glossy surfaces of ceilings in public areas and mirrored panels on the walls in the rooms, pulling them deeply into the interior and intensifying the effect of the surrounding nature. The hotel’s identity is recognized through the external design of the building, with a facade that is defined by dominant horizontal lines – terrace guards designed to evoke the image of slanted boat decks. The site’s complex terrain with dramatic altitude changes determines the location of internal facility spaces through a dynamic interweaving of public areas and guest suites at all levels.

Interior of Hotel Lone. Photo: 3LHD.

The specific Y shaped ground plan enabled a rational & functional organizational scheme, quality views from all rooms and the grouping of public facilities around a central vertical lobby. In addition to the overall architecture, the interior and the furniture were designed and chosen for the hotel in order to achieve a distinct and recognizable identity.

Art installation “In the hanging garden no one speaks” by Silvio Vujicic (hotel Lone). Photo: 3LHD.

Read interview with 3LHD architects here.

3LHD architects – project team: Saša Begović, Marko Dabrović, Tatjana Grozdanić Begović, Silvije Novak, Ljiljana Đorđević, Ines Vlahović, Željko Mohorović, Krunoslav Szoersen, Nives Krsnik Rister, Dijana Vandekar, Tomislav Soldo, Ana Deg / Project team collaborators: Margareta Spajić, Ana Coce, Dragana Šimić, Sanja Jasika, Eugen Popović, Leon Lazaneo, Ljerka Vučić, Ana Penavić.

Interior: 3LHD, Numen/For Use / Furniture Design: Numen/For Use – Sven Jonke, Christoph Katzler, Nikola Radeljković / Staff uniforms and selection of textile objects design: I-GLE

Art installations:  “Room for running ghosts” – Ivana Franke / “In the hanging garden no one speaks” – Silvio Vujičić / Graphics: M1-M5 – Silvio Vujičić / Composition No.1, No.2 and No.3 – I-GLE – Martina Vrdoljak Ranilović, Nataša Mihaljčišin / Building Visual Identity: Bruketa&Žinić Ltd.

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