La Prairie Boutique Hotel

Hotel Santa Monica

Environmental Design 03 Eun Me Kwon Fall 2020

Environmental Design Emil Mertzel - Environmental Design 3 Robert Hunt - Visual Communication 3 Yo Oshima - Degital Process 6 Mark Gee - Design Lab 3 Penny Herscovitch & Daniel Gottlieb - Illumination: Lighting

Copyright © by Eun Me Kwon All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief in a book review All rights reserved. This book is designed to preserve the words and image of value to its author.

ArtCenter College of Design Pasadena, California 90117 Environmental Design term 3 December 2020

01 Site 02 Brand 03 Concept 04 Space 05 Midterm 06 Revision 07 Rendering

01 Site

Before designing boutique hotel for la prairie, I did research on the site in Santa Monica to understand the location of the hotel.

From the research, I was able to identify the pros and cons for sun, view, and traffic which developed as design opportunity and challenges.

Site Location Santa Monica 849 Ocean Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90403, United States

The hotel is located on Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica. There is a beach right across from the hotel and attractions such as parks and shopping areas are close by. Ocean and mountains are near the site and places for art and culture are not far from the hotel as well.

Shopping Bloomingdales / Nortdstorm / Rodeo Dr Park South Beach Park Playground / Venice Canals / Tongva Park Different Views From Hotel

Attractions Near Hotel

Santa Monica Pier

Rodeo DR

Beach View From Hotel

Palisades Park

Site Location Santa Monica 849 Ocean Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90403, United States

Pros and Cons for Sun, View, Traffic Sun - Wonderful sunset (west) and sunrise -Only certain pat of the building gets sun so there are big shadows created by it.

-Strong sun during the day.

View - Amazing beach / Ocean view - Great Sunset and sunrise view - Only front rooms can have views mentioned above Traffic -Large highway near the building and right in front of Ocean Ave -Noise concern needs to be addressed on Ocean Ave -Visitors can access via vehicles or by walking -Have access to the beach right in front but need to cross the street -Tight space for visitors to check in and out from the back of the building. Street can be blocked if visitors arrive/leave at the same time

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2 Beverly Hills

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3 2

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Pacific Palisades

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Santa Monica Pier 405

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1 Marina Del Rey

Map Guide of Santa Monica

Santa Monica

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la prairie Hotel la prairie Spa Beverly Hills

Luxury Retail Stores 1

Promenade Street

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Santa Monica Place

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The Rodeo Collection

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Westfield Century City

Fine Dining 1

SUGARFISH by sushi nozawa

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Forma Restaurant & Cheese Bar

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Ocean Prime

Beauty and Wellness 1

BAO Foot Spa

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The Now Massage Boutique

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Glamour Beauty Center

Morning Sun Noon Sun Afternoon Sun Busy Car Traffic Less Car Traffic View Concern Noise Concern

Summer Solstice Equinox Winter solstice

02 Brand

After studying the site, I did research on the brand to understand the brand value and key attributes of the brand.

From the research, I could analyze the brand value, strength, weakness, and design opportunity of la prairie.

Brand Values Swissness

Luxury

Innovation

Performance

Minimalism

Helvetica

la prairie is a boutique cosmetic spa brand based in Switzerland that focuses on the ultimate rejuvenation and timeless beauty. They care about precision, craftmanship, purity, and sensitvie toward “cleanness”

Strengths - clearness in theme that’s applied in both packaging and advertising - use of luxurious materials (platinum, gold. white caviar, caviar) - inspiration from nature to make “timeless beauty” - have strong interest in art : partner with Art Basel, Swiss contemporary art fair (vision of both are : audacity, aesthetics, timelessness) Weaknesses - repetitive theme and color - overuse of “swissness” in adverting - futuristic and science based looking than luxurious - not many know of the brand (lack of retail store) - small range of target audience (those seeking for rejuvenation) - tries too hard to have “audacious spirit - willingness to break the codes of luxury” that they promote as “same audacious spirit of the artist: that of an explorer, a pioneer, an adventure”

Design Opportunity From the site and brand research, I came up with three design opportunities

Place For “Youth” La Prairie was first founded as Clinique for rejuvenation. Therefore, I want to create a boutique that makes visitors to feel “young” after the stay. By using characteristic of rare ingredient the brand is using, challenge here is to make the hotel luxurious yet leisurely and more fit to the site and become “pristine sanctuary of rejuvenation”.

Give Energy To Visitors Exclusive Cellular Complex is the signature of La Prairie. Like how this technology gives new life and energy back to the very cells, La Prarie boutique hotel needs to give “energy” back to visitors. Like how Exclusive Celluar Complex is made of 3 labs (yeast fermentation, micro organism fermentation, blend various components) I want to give specific theme to the spaces so that the boutique can become “Exclusive Celluar Complex” itself.

Explore Use Of Luxury Material By exlporing texturized materials inspired by ingredients La Prarie uses and creating a wall/facade with them, it will enhance the brand’s goal “timeless beauty”. Also, by using nature rooted materials, the boutique will have opportunity to allow vistors to have “audacious spirit”

03 Concept

Based on the understanding of the site and the brand, I chose my own key attributes and developed a concept of how the boutique hotel by la prairie would be like in Santa Monica.

Key Attributes Minimalism

Precision

Geometric

Timeless

Poetic

Raw/Nature

I found these six attributes to be the most important values among other characteristics because of their better connection with “ultimate rejuvenation” and “timeless beauty”.

Concept Development I wanted to create a hotel that allows guests to have rejuvenation throughout the stat. Therefore, I developed a design concept of “energy path”. From calm energy to full energy, I designed each of the public space and the guestroom to have different amount of energy that creates a path.

calm energy

subtle energy

active energy

full energy

Concept Development The entrance will have calm energy, lobby with subtle energy, followed by lounge with active energy, and lastly bar with full energy.

entrance

lobby

lounge

bar

Material Strategy la prairie is a luxurious skincare brand that uses the most precious ingredients such as platinum, caviar, and gold on their products. Based on these rare natural sources, the brand introduces the ultimate rejuvenation experience to the customers.

While la prarie Hotel follows the brand’s usage of the luxurious materials, the hotel also combines the natural sources that carry high and low energy to enhance the rejuvenation experience.

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1. White Platinum 2. Gold Rod 3. Walnut 4. Gold Foil 5. Double Polished Glass 6. Gold Panel 7. Cobalt Blue Glass 8. Platinum 9. Concrete 10. Frosted Glass 11. Rock

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Audience Anyone who is interested in spa treatment skincare, youthful lifestyle, timeless beauty, indoor and outdoor activities, and wants to be revitalized both internal and outside are the target audience.

04 Space

From the concept of energy path, I made physical and digital study models and sketches to idiate the public spaces (lobby, lounge, bar) and the guestroom. I first started the ideation with very evocative designs but I developed spaces to be more subtle and controlled, focusing more in transition in between spaces.

Initial Ideation - Public Space These are the very first initial ideation I made physically.

Energy Energy cannot be defined in forms. However, it moves around between obejcts, environments, etc constantly. Although energy cannot be viewed, we can feel the spirit shifting from one place to another.

Keep the active/dynamic form of moving energy to allow visitors to feel the energy visually.

Revitalisation In order to have better and healthier lives, we need to revitalize ourselves regularly. Methods of revitalisation can differ from one to another but they all fill ourselves with fresh mental and physical energy like a charger. We’ll know when our minds and bodies need to be “recharged” .

Have light shift from blue-red throughout the day. It enhances visitors to feel that they are being revitalized white staying at hotel.

Inner peace by walking into “dreamland” Everyone has own inner peace in mind. It’s created just for oneself so that the person can lock bad memories, concerns, etc separately. Since oneself is isolated from negative influences, when new input of obstacle comes in, it won’t affect the person and will remain unclear and flimsy. By entering to the space with no stressors, the place becomes a new “dreamland”.

Have more locked semi-globe and unclear patterned elements attached to the wall/ceiling/floor. I want visitors to get lost and wonder around the space playfully. The ultimate goal is to make visitors feel that the boutique is stressors-free and the only place for relaxation/wellness/leisure.

Design Development

After choosing my design story, I developed three physical model with program plan as well. However, the transitions were not smooth yet in this stage.

Design Development

Based on the feedback, I combined few design elements to create better public space design with smoother transition.

Initial Ideation - Guestroom I first tried three different layouts of the guestroom. Then I decided to work with the first image at the bottom.

Design Development

I developed the guestroom to be more energy path focused, making the entrance the calm energy, living area with subtle energy, bed area with active energy, and bathroon with full energy.

05 Midterm

For the midterm, I mainly focused on delivering design concept of energy path in the public space and the guetroom. Program and circulation diagram was used to explain my idea.

I also refined my design story for the midterm.

Design Story Design Story

A boutique hotel by La Prairie allows people to be revitalized/rejuvenated to become more energetic through relaxing experience

G u e s t R o om

Program and Circulation Diagram

Ele vato r

Sp a

Lounge Bar En tra n c e To Sp a C o l o n na de Ma in En tran c e O c e a n Av e

L o bb y Po o l Va le t Ida h o Ave

Facade

Public Space

Calm energy - Entrance

Subtle energy - Lobby

Active energy - Lounge

Full energy - Bar

Public Space Entrance Long collonade allows guests to prepare themselves for energy experience.

Public Space Lobby Circular pattern on the check in area and lighted wall with white and yellow

Public Space Lounge Circular individual seating area concaved under the floor with shallow dome shape ceiling with gold texture

Public Space Bar Extruded cirle allows guests to have maximized energetic experience in public space

Guestroom

Calm energy - Entrance

Subtle energy - Living Area

Active energy - Bed Area

Full energy - Bathroom

Guestroom Entrance Long collonade allows guests to prepare themselves for energy experience.

The moment guests turn the corner of textured wall, they can see the bathroom area through the large window, making them to continually have the energy path experience

Guestroom Living Area / Bed Area Circular pattern concaved on the ceiling and two walls facing each other in living area One stair up to the bed area allows guests separate themselves from living space

Guestroom Bathroom Floor connected to the bed area and the bath tub allows bathing experience more enjoyable One stair down to the general bathroom enhances guestroom bathroom to be more of a personal spa

06 Revision

Facade design, public spaces, and guestroom were all developed in depth after the midterm. Since I received feedback of trying to focus on figuring out the transition between spaces, that was my main goal for the rest of the term.

Also, I rebuilt the entire public space and guestroom rhino model to deliver my idea better for the final.

Facade Facade design is inspired by the brand’s deep science related approach to the skincare products. Due to the noise and view concerns, the facade is divided as ground floor and upper floors which are for guestropms and spa. To give energy differences between the floor levels, bottom of upper floor windows are shaped into semi-circle, providing some view restrictions than the top floor windows. Ground floor windows have double layers of patterned glass to have the ost restriction and protection on views.

The first floor of facade will have the calm energy and the elvel will rise as the floor goes higher with no restricion on views at the top floor.

01. Grid

02. Pattern

03. Divide

Inspired by Swiss grid system, facade is divided in an organized way

Location of windows are determined based on the grid system

Ground floor and upper floor are divided due to amount of sunlight shining in to the building and the noise, view concerns the site have

04. Sculpt

05. Double Layer

06. Connect

Bottom of upper floor windows are shaped into semi-circle

Ground floor windows have double layers of patterned glass to have restricion on views

Metal frames connect all the elements together to show the energy difference between floor levels

FFE for Public Space and Guestroom

FFE were chosen based on the spaces’ material, geometric shape, transition, and different energy level.

BRENDAN RAVENHILL ADA9

Public Space Public spaces are divided into different energy levels. Entrance has the calm energy, lobby with subtle energy, lounge with active energy, and bar with full energy. To enhance this experience, lobby is kept simple in design and bar with the most design opportunities. Transitions between spaces were changed from the midterm.

Guestroom Hallway to the guestroom and the entrance give calm energy experience, followed by living area with subtle energy, bed area with active energy, and bathroom with full energy. Different from the public space, guestroom’s full energy happens at the place where the most rejuvenation will happen, which is the large bathroom area. Lighting and spacing was revised from the midterm, and skylight and hallway were added.

Guestroom and Hallway Lighting

Guestroom and Hallway Lighting

3D Print Of Guestroom

Final Plan

Lounge

Lobby

UP

Bar

Idaho Ave

This is the final plan for the public space and plan with materials applied.

UP

Pool Valet Check In

RAMP UP

Guestroom Entrance To Spa

Ocean Ave

Final Plan This is the final plan for the guestroom.

Section Perspective Plan

07 Rendering

These are the final renderings of la prairie boutique hotel.

Rhino / Twinmotion / Photoshop

Street View of la prairie Boutique Hotel

Detail View of Facade

Entrance View of Hotel

Colonade To The Lobby

Lobby / Check In Area

Lounge

Bar

Pool

Hallway To The Guestroom

Entrance Of Guestroom

View From Bed Area

View Across From Entrance

Night Scene

Bathroom

Detail Of Skylight In Bathroom