Hilton Pattaya
Lobby & ‘DRIFT’ Bar
The space for the hotel lobby and bar occupies the 16th floor, high above the bustle of Pattaya beach below. Upon entering the space from one end, as elevator doors open, one would enter a spacious lobby area. The architectural intervention to the entire ceiling plane, with its dynamic wave lines, leads the movement of the visitors towards the seafront beyond. The fabric installation on the ceiling becomes a main feature in the space while simple elements on the ground provide a tranquil atmosphere.
At night, strip lighting accents from above the fabric linear pattern. The whole ceiling volume becomes a gentle luminous source of light giving a fine ambient to the overall space.
At the end of the lobby space, the bar area is arranged linearly along the building edge parallel to the sea with maximum opening to the ocean view. Backdrop of the bar area lies a wooden wall with alcoves where the daybeds partially tuck themselves into the wall. Oversized and soft furniture provides comfortable and relaxing seating for guests to sink into. A full-wall mirror at the end of the long space doubles the visual length of the bar area.
Further in front of the indoor bar area is an outdoor lounge space with a large reflecting pond catching the reflection of both the sky and the droplet daybeds and lamps scattered around. From this area the space is opened up to the panoramic ocean vista and gentle sea breeze.
‘EDGE’ Restaurant
A restaurant serving international food with multiple large open kitchens is situated on floor fourteenth facing the ocean view. Its main spatial organization strategy is to open up the ocean view to the guests at its maximum to take advantage of the view from its prime location. The space is stretched linearly along the glass wall facing the sea with an almost 8 meter-high ceiling. The indoor seating area is organized into two tiers where the floor towards the back is higher up to ensure a good view over the front part. The outdoor terrace with its impressive panoramic view in the front lets the ocean vista flows uninterruptedly to the inside by arranging its floor plate a step lower.
Away from the busy street down below, the restaurant provides a calm, relaxing and comfortable atmosphere. An airy space with the use of natural materials and light colors allow the guests to set back and relax. The open kitchen area is accentuated with special material treatment as a focal point of the interior space.
The visual elements in the space are loose reminiscent of an underwater landscape – sea fan and translucent luminous ocean creatures. The interior surfaces are almost transformed from their original materiality into thin gorgonian membranes wrapping the space. Clusters of glowing organic-shape lamps suspended randomly in mid-air with varying sizes and colors scatter throughout the space. Hidden in the restaurant restroom, maneuvering through its interior space, one cannot resist thinking of the space in between the seabed fauna.
‘FLARE’ Fine Dining
An upscale luxury fine dining serving grill is located on a fifteenth floor. Privacy and exclusivity for the guests play an important role in the project. The design explores a mediating means of space demarcation between pockets of private dining area. By occupying an intermediary space between spaces with a translucent volume of sheer fabric, the effect results in an elegant, mystifying atmosphere, engaging and disengaging different spaces at the same time.
A deep color palette gives an even further perplexing depth. A slight up-light to the volume of sheer fabric and the glowing light at the edge of the fabric accentuated the lighting in the space. The glitter of crystal lamps and chandeliers sparks and enriches the depth of the space.
Linkage Spaces
For various linkage spaces throughout the hotel, whether they are an elevator hall, a linkage from an elevator hall to restaurants, a connection to the retail area within the same building complex, or a connection from the parking lot to the hotel, the project attempts to bring all of their latent design opportunities to their best - as spaces to connect, to introduce and to invite people to take on their little journey to their destination. The circulation is a transition space that leads the direction, allows a sequential experience along the passage and could even become something in its own right. Sometimes, the passage where the required practical functions are simpler than other kind of spaces also allows opportunities to implant a site-specific installation integral to the space along the way.
