design et al are thrilled to announce that Virserius Studio have been successfully shortlisted for The International Hotel & Property Awards 2016. The Caribe Hotel is steeped in rich history. Conrad Hilton’s first hotel outside the continental US was the place to be during Hollywood’s Golden Age, enjoyed by celebrities, dignitaries and other people of note. It was also birthplace of the piña colada.
Virserius Studio wanted to honour that glory by making it the place for hotel guests and the local community to interact. The design reflects Puerto Rico’s strong cultural roots, and blends American sensibility with Latin passion. In choosing materials the designers had to consider both the environment and the number of people frequenting the hotel.
Virserius Studio’s wanted to strike that delicate balance between durability and honouring the design aesthetic. The designers goal was to make the bar area an outdoor living room, a true destination for guests, visitors, and the community to gather. To connect to its beautiful surroundings and nature, the designers took part of the white façade and put in operable doors to blur the lines between outdoor and indoor. It was also architecturally important to the designers to create depth and contrast. The layering effect was achieved by adding shutters for the windows made of treated aluminium finish to look exactly like wood shutters.
Virserius Studio’s introduced sculptural elements above the bar with the cascading sculpture based on ripples of water. Gloss and semi-gloss finishes on powder-coated aluminium were used to create subtle transition. The designers also created an undulating wood slat ceiling to add scale and warmth, making the area even more inviting.