Rebirth Of Luxury

WA International’s Design Director Claire Craig reveals how the Renaissance Downtown Hotel, Dubai offers a new vision of contemporary hospitality design.

ORIGINAL ART + DESIGN

It takes courage to gently challenge the status quo. With her signature sense of beauty, grace and curiosity, Claire Craig created a design for Dubai’s new Renaissance Downtown Hotel that surpasses even the most jaded jet-setter’s expectations.

The Marriot-owned property, created within an existing office tower in Dubai’s Business Bay district, features 298 guest rooms and 65 suites, each with views of the Burj Khalifa or Dubai Water Canal.

From the dynamic art installation of Dubai’s cityscape that commands guests’ attention as they arrive, to the photography in each room and Pablo Picasso’s famed camel sketch that’s been reimagined into a playful 3D iron rod sculpture, the hotel was designed to deliver an unforgettable experience.

“True to our philosophy, we approached this project with the idea of creating more than only unique interiors – but rather than referencing the landscapes of Dubai, which is often a common theme, we chose to reference Dubai’s man-made built environment. Our concept for the public areas and guestrooms was the evolution of a skyline from concrete and glass, and of the natural elements of Dubai, sand and water,” says Craig.

“The Renaissance is a good example of how the notion that in order to design a ‘luxury’ hotel we must specify exotic woods and rare marbles, is no longer relevant. Its simple concrete background provided the perfect canvas on which to feature and invest in timeless, modern classic furniture, lighting and art,” she continues.