NEWS ABOUT LIFE, STYLE & HOTELS ISSUE N o 01 | 2019 thestylemate.com
destination design
Stylemate T H E S T Y L E M AT E .C O M
stefan moses Begegnungen mit Peggy Guggenheim. Š stefan moses/Elisabeth Sandmann Verlag, 2017
THE
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THE Stylemate Issue No 01 | 2019
IN THIS ISSUE
Essentials Page 3 coverstory:
Designed For Travel Page 4 – 8 Hotel Gitschberg, Hotel The Crystal Page 9
style:
Floating Free Page 19 – 21
life:
Shift happens! Page 22 – 23
Feel-good Design Page 10 – 12
World Wide Things Page 24 – 25
Hotel des Balances, Berghotel Maibrunn Page 13
hotels:
life:
Franzobel Page 14 new member:
Alpine Boutique Hotel SEPP Hotel Stein, Hotel Goldgasse, Das Tyrol, Villa Hibiscus Beach House Seehotel Bellevue Page
15 – 18
Organic Glamour Page 26 – 27 So Wow 28 – 29
Page
directory:
lifestylehotels Page 30 – 31 Imprint Page 31
NOW T H E S T Y L E M AT E .C O M
ONLINE !
We love print! And we express that love of printed paper with every issue of THE Stylemate. However, we can’t deny the need for a digital presence. We are not even trying to. On the contrary, we are believers in the coexistence of printed and digital media both now and in the future. That is why we have just launched the “thestylemate.com blog” – with a lot of great stories and things from around the world that make life even more beautiful. Speaking of beauty, you will also discover a host of beautiful things in this issue of THE Stylemate, which is dedicated to design. The eccentric lady with the spectacular sunglasses on the front cover is the famous art patron Peggy Guggenheim. She shaped Venice not just with her Guggenheim collection but also and above all during her lifetime with her very personality. We find the way she did so – namely with an exceptional sense of quality and a liking for the ironic and absurd – absolutely impressive and want to bring that to the page. We also like putting strong women on the cover.
Thomas Holzleithner & Hardy Egger
If you do not want to miss an issue, you can also subscribe to THE Stylemate. thestylemate.com
Photo: Heldentheater
EDITORS
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THE Stylemate Issue No 01 | 2019
essentials GRACE
BAUHAUS ORIGINAL
Create that holiday feeling without even leaving your home. Just one classic daiquiri with delicious rum and you’ll be feeling like Hemingway in Cuba. The serving trolley was created for Schönbuch by the Maison & Objet Designer of the Year, Sebastian Herkner. “Grace” is true to its name, in a minimalist design inspired by the architecture of the 1950s. Cin cin!
To mark the 100th anniversary of the Bauhaus, Alessi is celebrating the historical, artistic and cultural significance of the school set up by Walter Gropius with a series of products under licence (Bauhaus-Archiv Berlin): the “90010”, “90046” and “90047” ash trays by Marianne Brandt and the “90042” sugar and cream set by Brandt and Helmut Schulze, first produced in the mid-1980s as part of the “Officina Alessi” collection, are being relaunched in special centenary packaging.
schoenbuch.com
alessi.com
BAUHAUS STYLE Très chic, this design by Pool from Paris is already a classic. Léa Podovani and Sébastien Kieffer drew inspiration from the Bauhaus style for the “Grid” day bed they created for PETITE FRITURE. They have turned a day bed into a modular system of armchair, corner armchair, stool and coffee table that can be combined simply and easily in a number of different ways. The black strap around the wooden section makes this a real eye-catcher. petitefriture.com
O F T H I S
E D I T I ON
Photos: Barwagen: Studio Sebastian Herkner / Aschenbecher: Alessi / Midgard Lampe: Midgard / Mühlbauer Hüte: Mühlbauer / Petite Friture: Petite Friture / Koffer: Away
B I R T H DAY B OY Curt Fischer invented the first directional electric lamp 100 years ago. He called his firm Midgard, and the lamps were know by names such as “Lichtbogen” (“arc”) and “Peitsche” (“whip”). The Bauhaus avant-garde designers of the 1920s were impressed by Fischer’s devices. Architects, photographers, typographers and painters loved the flexible directional light and anti-glare reflectors, and used the models in their ateliers. Modern lamps from Midgard became a standard feature in their workplaces. midgard.com
HIS AND HERS Hold on to your hats! The theme of the new spring and summer collection from Austrian hat supplier Mühlbauer is headgear worn by people with physically demanding jobs. About protection from the sun, dust and bad weather. The hats are a little crumpled and deliberately frayed. The ear of grain represents hard work. And because travelling can also be demanding, we recommend “Visor Gigi” for Her and “Prinz Udo” for Him. muehlbauer.at
U P A N D AW A Y “Getting away means getting more out of every trip. That is the idea and the mission behind everything we do.” This is the motto of the New York label “Away” – which also provides a lifetime guarantee for all its suitcases. “Away” cases have everything you need and nothing you do not: 360-degree Hinomoto wheels, a high-quality YKK zip and a handy integrated charger. The latest model in polycarbonate in colour has been available since February. Inside, it is perfectly organised for genuinely easier packing. awaytravel.com
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THE Stylemate Issue No 01 | 2019
PHILIPPE STARCK French designer
HOTEL DELANO “Icon” in Miami
#
Photo: James Bort
designedfortravel
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Photo: shutterstock.com, James Kirkikis
The launch of the first iPhone and continuous app developments have changed travelling dramatically. It is not just technology and the design of the iPhone that have influenced the travel habits of countless consumers; other strokes of design genius have also transformed how we travel. In recent history, the innovations that have changed our travel habits most drastically are surely smartphones and Instagram, the invention of the design hotel, and what is known as the Guggenheim effect.
Can you remember a time before smartphones? Before Facebook and Instagram, when you were content to travel with only yourself for company and what you experienced along the way?
THE LAUNCH OF THE iTOURIST A joke could run like this: if an influencer visits a hotel but nobody views his or her Instagram story, was he really there? It is as if the travel experience begins and ends with Instagram. First, you are encouraged on Instagram (to put it nicely) to take a certain trip, so that you can then present your experience in an Instagram-friendly way. Digital technology, in particular the iPhone and the countless apps, have changed holidays dramatically. Travelling has become easier. Flights and accommodation can be booked on your mobile phone in the space of minutes, and tickets stored in your digital wallet. Once you arrive, forget walking around with a huge map – thanks to smartphones, you look like a local, as everyone spends most of their time staring at their phone, whether or not they need directions. Smartphones can be used to book everything from tables in restaurants to an Uber to bring you safely back to your accommodation after a wild night out. The highlights of your holiday can be recorded, edited and published in real time to keep everyone up to date – whether or not they are interested. Yet, with all these digital developments, we must not forget what holidaying and travelling are actually about: real experiences with real people.
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#
There was a time before design hotels. Of course, even then, hotels were “designed”. Some owners went for the upmarket, luxurious and very expensive. Others also made an effort of sorts. And then came Ian Schrager and Steve Rubell. The owners of the (in)famous “Studio 54” night club in New York invented with the idea of the design hotel. It was 1988 and their “baby” was to be called Royalton. The hotel was designed by none other than Philippe Starck, who remembers this time vividly: ‘It is 1984 and I am just some minor designer. Then I get a phone call out of the blue from a man named Ian Schrager. He asks me if I can come to New York. He sends me a ticket, because I don’t have a cent to pay for it myself. I arrive in New York and he asks me “Can you redesign palace hotels for me?” I say, “Maybe, but to be perfectly honest, I have never been in a palace in my life”. His answer? “That doesn’t matter. I’ve arranged a 15-day programme for you. You will change hotel twice each day. Then you can tell me what you think.” I did, and he asked me to take on the Royalton Hotel. We worked on it for four years as it was his first major hotel project. And we created this thing that triggered a small revolution. What I mean is that this was the first time that there was a real act of creation, that was genuinely personal, genuinely modern, genuinely imaginative and original, but was also rooted in the ambition to become a classic.’
HOTEL PARAMOUNT Times Square New York
STEVE RUBELL AND IAN SCHRAGER invent the design hotel
It is hard to say just how great an impact Ian Schrager’s vision had on our collective idea of what a hotel should be like, but the Royalton in New York and the hotels that followed – the Paramount in New York and the Delano in Miami – definitely changed the hotel market and our approach to travel. You could say that the Paramount democratised stylish travel, for it was suddenly possible to stay in a pretty cool hotel for just 100 dollars a night. Schrager also introduced – fairly successfully – the concept of “lobby socialising”, which turned the lobby into a meeting place for both hotel guests and locals. Now over 70, Ian Schrager is still a disco inferno of ideas and a master of reinvention. His latest enterprise is the Hotel Public in New York, designed to test how well a hotel can compete with Airbnb. His motto: GREAT SERVICE. GREAT STYLE. GREAT EXPERIENCE. GREAT PRICE.
100dollarsanight Photos: Paramount Hotel: Nikolas Koenig / Adam Scull-PHOTOlink/MediaPunch
THE INVENTION OF THE DESIGN HOTEL
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THE Stylemate Issue No 01 | 2019
travel as an inspiration The Viennese architect and designer Stephan Vary works for major names such as Dior, Armani, Hennessy, Rimowa and Bulgari. He finds inspiration on his travels – travels that take him everywhere from Paris to Tokyo.
You travel the world for your clients. To what extent does what you see on your trips influence your design? Stephan Vary: Travel is my main source of inspiration. No matter how many pictures you look at on Instagram or how many magazines you browse, nothing compares to the actual physical experience. If you genuinely want to experience towns, spaces or objects, you need to see them for yourself. What design you have seen on the road has impressed you lately? S. V.: I was recently back in Tokyo for the first time in a long time for the Rimowa flagship store, which was designed by us. You always forget that a city has what you might call its own smell or sound. That hits
you immediately as soon as you go back. Another aspect of Tokyo that fascinates me is the cultural differences in the use and appropriation of spaces and objects. For example, treating someone with respect, not “talking down”, means that a customer advisor will kneel on the floor to advise a customer who is sitting on a sofa. That would be absolutely inconceivable in Europe. You recently started designing stores around the world for the Louis Vuitton brand Rimowa. S. V.: Yes, indeed. We were very excited to be commissioned to rethink the Rimowa brand after its takeover by LVMH. Our brief was to find a completely new approach to the product and the brand. There were no specifications other than the budget and the timescale for opening the first stores. It’s not every day that you get such an opportunity: the freedom to design as you wish with the full backing of the client.
Photos: Architecture: Daici Ano / Portrait: Jork Weismann
Apart from the brand, how does the city in question influence the interior design of a shop? S. V.: For our store for Rimowa in the Ginza district of Tokyo, we knew that we wanted a unique design that would not be recreated in that form. We therefore consciously chose shapes and a sequence of spaces that are linked to the location. This was our focus, along with materials and excellent workmanship. Cultural associations such as rock gardens and flowing forms were our inspiration for this design.
Your portfolio also includes luxury retail stores at airports. How do you get people to go shopping at an airport? S. V.: First and foremost, by exploiting the fact that they spend time there and there is not a lot to do. The brands know this and deliberately market products such as limited editions and travel exclusives that are only available at airports. In this situation, people will almost inevitably buy. What do you do when you have to wait at an airport? S. V.: I look at the shops, have something to eat or drink, and listen to music. If I have a long-haul flight, I try and have a shower in the business lounge before the flight as I then sleep well in the plane. What design objects are a must when you travel? S. V.: My wireless headphones, my e-book reader, a water bottle and a cashmere scarf to keep out the drafts from the air conditioning. Where will your next trip take you? And why? S. V.: To Paris, Rome and Château d’Yquem. All trips are for projects on which I am currently working. STEPHAN VARY runs the architecture and design studio “Labvert” in Vienna. The studio specialises in developing established brands in the luxury segment. Labvert translates the brands’ trademark qualities and values into a modern experience. labvert.com
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# ICON Guggenheim Museum Bilbao
The architect Frank Gehry recently recalled that, after the completion of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, he climbed a hill and looked down at it and briefly wondered “what the f*** have I done to these people?” It is a matter for debate whether everyone in Bilbao appreciates the daily floods of tourists that have come to visit the Guggenheim Museum ever since. However, the museum designed by Gehry played a central role in transforming Bilbao from an inconspicuous town to a flourishing tourist destination. From that moment on, other cities looked with envy at the titanium and steel design and asked whether it might be worth paying a star architect millions to develop a building that would give them such an economic boost too. Many cities now boast buildings by architectural luminaries such as Renzo Piano, Zaha Hadid and Rem Koolhaas, whose iconic buildings shape the cityscape. However, some restraint is needed, or a city ends up looking like Dubai, Doha or Singapore – it’s just like cosmetic surgery and the Kardashians.
iconicbuildings
STEFAN MOSES ENCOUNTERS WITH PEGGY GUGGENHEIM The art patron, eccentric and collector Peggy Guggenheim and the photographer Stefan Moses first met in 1969. Two people with a liking for the ironic and the absurd, and a feel for abso-
lute quality. Therein lies the magic of the photographs in this book, which show Peggy Guggenheim in a white fur coat on a stone throne in her garden, or in a gondola wearing her legendary glasses. Highly recommended! Elisabeth Sandmann Verlag, 2017
Photos: shutterstock.com, Manuel Ascanio / stefan moses, Elisabeth Sandmann Verlag 2017
THE “GUGGENHEIM EFFECT”
Yet the Guggenheim Museum is an exception, for the buildings in Bilbao and New York are not just impressive on the outside, but also for what they house. Bilbao needed the Guggenheim brand; New York and Venice would have attracted enough visitors even without the Guggenheim effect. For the Guggenheim in Venice, Miss Peggy Guggenheim herself counted for even more: when she was still alive, people came just to see the eccentric and enigmatic American in person. She often sat in one of her galleries in the midst of museum visitors and acted as if she were also a tourist. When asked “Are you Miss Guggenheim?”, she always answered “No, I am not.” The Guggenheim effect illustrates the impact architecture and art can have on a destination. Think of Art Basel or Design Miami. Places with famous art festivals or popular cultural events bring in visitors. You could term all this “design” in the broadest sense of the word, and say that our standards in or demand for design has risen significantly. Accommodation, transport, and travel gadgets – everything needs a specific style. We want the trendiest noise-cancelling headphones, the trtl travel pillow, suitcases that look great and have an iPhone charger, and the most lightweight trainers for a comfortable journey. At the same time, in our list of travel experiences, airports top the table of places of torture and desperation. Airports of architectural interest do exist – take Copenhagen, Marrakesh or Beijing, for example – but the treatment of passengers since shoe bombers and water bottle terrorists has had little to do with a trendy lifestyle. In his book “The Possessed”, Elif Batuman writes that “[a]ir travel is like death: everything is taken from you”. He may be right, but all the more reason to see what awaits us at our destination as paradise.
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HOTEL GITSCHBERG
Nothing competes with the boutique Hotel Gitschberg in Maranza. The Gassla Spa suites are the epitome of exclusive living, personal spa delight and dream retreat in the South Tyrolean countryside.
gitschberg’s crowning glory
I T A LY SOUTH TYROL / MARANZA
38 rooms
At an altitude of
1400 m
on the sunny Maranza plateau Book online lifestylehotels.net/ hotel-gitschberg
In Gitschberg Jochtal, the sun-kissed Maranza plateau rises up 1400 metres above the daily grind. And that very place, where nature; the mountains, are on your doorstep, is the backdrop for Hotel Gitschberg, which is run by the nature-loving Peintner family. This intensive connection with nature can be felt throughout the hotel, and nowhere more so than in the newly designed suites. Both stylish and close to nature – for these two aspects are certainly not mutually exclusive. Visitors will find a lounge with a tea bar, a spring water fountain and a library, a bathroom with a bathing salts bar and private spa
loggia with its own Swiss pine mountain sauna, a wonderful selection of fragrances and a forest floor experience. If the suite is the crowing glory of the hotel, the stone floor in silver quartzite is the jewel in that crown. The hand-split silver quartzite is unique in the world and sourced from the nearby Pfitsch Valley. It is rich in silica, alpine minerals and crystals such as tourmaline, zircon, haematite and pyrite. Alpine loden from Mössmer and Steiner and naturally treated larch and pine complete the picture. “I wanted to create a living space that was open, flexible and special – with a host of subtle details to make living relaxation. For people who love to holiday in an exclusive ambience”, says architect Gerhard Tauber. And nature has always been a good designer. From mid-May to early November, find out for yourself just what that means in Hotel Gitschberg, a holder of the “KlimaHotel” sustainability seal.
H O T E L T H E C RY S TA L
Photos: Hotel Gitschberg: Andre Schönherr / Hotel The Crystal: mindpark_danielzangerl
the jewel of the alps With ski-in, ski-out and its own lift access, it is the most exclusive 4-star superior resort in the Ötztal valley. Yet The Crystal also has much more to offer – not least for the spa guests who revel in excellent treatments, premium spa products and the very latest beauty rituals. Experience the wonderful aesthetics of the 2000 m2 spa area, which gives its own twist to “alpine”. The highlights of the extensive beauty and spa programme are
High up at over 2000 metres, The Crystal gives its own unique interpretation of an amazing and unforgettable holiday. AUSTRIA T Y R O L / Ö T Z T A L VA L L E Y
the ESPA treatments, which are almost exclusively to be found in the most famous 5-star hotels. Discover these efficient and amazingly effective treatments. All of the highly professional staff at The Crystal Spa have received several weeks’ training from the ESPA team. The result? Satisfied guests who have been harnessing the expertise of this exceptional spa team for years. An absolute must is the “ESPA ultimate glacier experience” treatment, which starts with back exfoliation to prepare for a hot stone massage. A mud pack completes the earthy mountain experience, and a neck and shoulder massage relieves all stress and tension. Afterwards, why not head to the outdoor pool with its breathtaking Alpine panorama – and find inner peace and valuable equilibrium.
102 rooms
2000 m2 spa
Book online lifestylehotels.net/ hotel-the-crystal
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The Milan-based architects Tiziano Vudafieri and Claudio Saverino design places that make people “feel good�.
Photo: Nathalie Krag
feel-good
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LIFE
They talk to THE Stylemate about how to transform a brand into an interior and why food may even taste better in a nice restaurant.
PECK
design
CITYLIFE Restaurant Milan
How did you transform the brand into design?
Peck – considered the temple of Italian gastronomy – has just opened a new venue in Milan. It is located in a 300 m 2 organically-shaped pavilion. What difference does it make when walls are “round” and not straight?
Photos: Peck
Tiziano Vudafieri: The round walls introduce a fluid space, a more harmonious relationship between spaces and people. This obviously requires a greater level of technical complexity both in the design and in realization. We always design in relation to the context and to the needs of each place; every project is the result of these elements.
Claudio Saverino: Peck is a classic Milanese establishment that has been open since 1883. We designed a place that combines all its distinctive features: delicatessen, restaurant, wine bar and cocktail bar. The most important part of our work was to create an environment rich in symbolic elements, capable of expressing the fundamental features of Peck’s historical identity and at the same time of reconciling it with a more contemporary dimension. The new Peck is in fact located in the most contemporary district of Milan, under the skyscrapers of the CityLife Shopping District. At the same time, we wanted the project to communicate the strong link between Peck and the city of Milan, in which the legend of Peck established itself. T. V.: For this reason, we chose materials and solutions that represent a subliminal homage to this strong relationship. The flooring is reminiscent of traditional Milanese stone, the Ceppo di Gré from the quarries of Lake Iseo; the restaurant’s false ceiling, with wooden panelling, recalls Villa Necchi Campiglio by the great Milanese architect Piero Portaluppi; the struts that hold up the shelves are evocative of BBPR’s Velasca Tower.
How did the theme of “delicatessen eating” influence your design? C. S.: The theme of delicatessen eating had a central role in the project and is a distinctive feature of Peck CityLife. The folding tables by the counter, designed to the millimetre to be able to open and close, multiply the seating options and offer an alternative to a table in the restaurant. Eating at the counter is a completely different experience: it strengthens the relationship between food and people, between selection and tasting, and between preparation and consumption. What are the fundamental points to consider when designing a restaurant? T. V.: We believe that design complements the food. The Italian entrepreneur and racing driver Enzo Ferrari claimed that a nice car runs faster; perhaps the same thing can be said of a restaurant? Our relationship with food has to do with the senses and with our willingness to be surprised. The interior design has exactly this task: to favour as harmonic as possible a relationship between the people and the place so as to prepare them to approach the food in the best possible way.
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“We believe that every project represents someone or something and tells a story.”
LIFE
Which trend can you identify right now? C. S.: In the first period of globalisation, brands and projects tended to repeat concepts that were always the same, wherever they were in the world. Now, there is instead a need to differentiate while maintaining continuity in the narrative. For this reason, we design, for the same brand, places that are very different but share the same level of identity. How do you seek inspiration? T. V.: We believe that every project represents someone or something and tells a story, and for this reason, the architecture or the interior design must be consistent with this narrative. In line with the kind of project, we seek inspiration in the brand history, values and tradition and by observing the place, its previous incarnations and its memories. How would you describe the way you work?
AIMO E NADIA Restaurant Milan
PETIT HOTEL DU GRAND LARGE Restaurant Brittany
ÉGALITÉ Bakery
VUDAFIERI SAVERINO PARTNERS is a design firm specialised in architectural and corporate design projects and based in Milan and Shanghai. It is run by partners CLAUDIO SAVERINO and TIZIANO VUDAFIERI and their approach is based on both architectural culture and sensitivity to current trends in
design, fashion and art, dialectically and transversally leveraging their experience and knowledge in these sectors. Since 2000, a significant part of the firm’s activity has been devoted to retail design projects for luxury prêt-à-porter brands such as Louis Vuitton, Lanvin, Jimmy Choo among many others.
C. S.: We design places to live in, with the goal of putting the client, or whoever will use them, at ease. The projects must make people “feel good” because the inhabitant is the main subject and empathy with the place is the most important part of every project. Through architecture and interior design, we create and condition relationships between people. A project must therefore be a form of story-telling, but start by listening to stories. vudafierisaverino.it
Photos: Aimo e Nadia: Santi Caleca / Egalite: Luca Campigotto / Petit Hotel du Grand Large: Santi Caleca
Milan
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HOTEL DES BALANCES
Nestled on the banks of the Reuss in the heart of Lucerne’s old town lies the Hotel des Balances. Equilibrium and harmony are the hotel’s watchwords.
the perfect balance Coming “home” has never been so easy. Clear directions, a warm and hearty reception and your first view of the sunny bedroom and balcony will make your heart skip a beat – but your soul will instantly find the perfect equilibrium. Drink in the views of the river, the mountains and the opposite bank with its historic buildings such as the Jesuit Church and world-famous Chapel Bridge and Water Tower. The rooms have the perfect balance of colours – and historical flair is in sync with modern design. From the river, you might think you are looking at a Venetian palazzo. In fact, what you see is the terrace of Restaurant Balances, described by Gault Millau as one of the most beautiful terraces in Switzerland.
SWITZERLAND LUCERNE
56 rooms
Gault Millau also speaks highly of the creations of head chef Andreas Fluri, finding that “for years, he has successfully maintained the perfect balance between traditional European cuisine and creative trends from around the world.” After a visit to the restaurant, the bar is the best place to unwind. The drinks are so good that you will need to be careful to keep your own balance.
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Gault Millau points
Book online lifestylehotels.net/ hotel-des-balances
The Hotel des Balances is the perfect base camp for extended shopping trips and fascinating sightseeing. The historical façade from the 12th century is a treat for the eyes. Perhaps it is all down to Peter E. Büsser, who has managed the hotel for over 30 years. Perhaps he is the source of the inner peace and equilibrium. And perhaps you simply become such a source when you spend so much time in this wonderful corner of the earth.
BERGHOTEL MAIBRUNN
mix & match
Anna Miedaner holds the reins at Berghotel Maibrunn – not to mention the colour chart and probably also the inch tape, for the interiors of the 52 rooms are a matter for the boss in person. GERMANY SANKT ENGLMAR
52 rooms
52
designs
Photos: Hotel des Balances / Berghotel Maibrunn: Ydo Sol
Book online lifestylehotels.net/ berghotel-maibrunn
Experience individualisation to perfection in Sankt Englmar in the Bavarian Forest. The wonderful Berghotel Maibrunn welcomes guests with bedrooms that could not be more varied. Discover the “Lifestyle-Suite”, the “Sportlerzimmer” (“for the athlete”) and “Jägergrün” (“hunter green”) – all created by the director Anna Miedaner herself, and all absolutely individual. They differ in every aspect, from the wallpaper to the curtains, and the armchairs to the tables. Visitors will find classic pieces from Charles Eames, Arne Jacobsen and Le Corbusier, and modern design by Moroso, Trix and Capellini. There is one thing all rooms do have in common: their successful mix of rustic warmth and modern alpine flair, which reflects both tradition and the hotel’s spirit of innovation. Interior design is not the creative host’s only labour of love. Culinary diversity and relaxation pure and simple – in the BergSPA or “Sansibar” cosmetic area – are offered with enthusiasm and infinite warmth.
Guests can enjoy exquisite dining in the Jägerstüberl, Ludwig II, Carpe Diem and nearby Hirschalmhütte. Rustic, delicious and modern, based on fresh ingredients, and inspired by the countryside, local products and the changing seasons. Experience all this and more at Berghotel Maibrunn. Find peace and tranquillity through authentic Bavarian lifestyle, alpine simplicity and the healing power of nature. All this reflects the hotel’s philosophy: the more at home the visitor feels, the longer they will benefit from their visit.
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LIFE His great historical adventure novel “Das Floß der Medusa” (Zsolnay publishing house) was awarded the Bayerischer Buchpreis (Bavarian Book Award) 2017 and was on the shortlist for the German Book Prize 2017.
“The straight line is an inspired invention of humankind’s. That is why the serpent in the Garden of Eden tempted Adam and Eve not with an apple, but with a ruler.”
T H E GR E AT E S T DE SIGN E R OF ALL
The architects of the Bauhaus are both brave and fearful, and that dichotomy is related to time. For time, claim some quantum physicists, does not exist. They see time as a human construct created to understand how events are connected and unfold. In truth, so the argument goes, everything – future and past – exists simultaneously, in parallel. What does that mean? An infinite present? An interesting thought, and one so revolutionary that not even the physicists themselves can make sense of it. Who would come up with such a concept? Who did? At another, much more trivial level, everything is constructed: from egg cup to coffee-maker and soup spoon, everything is designed. Towns, landscapes, hairstyles, even the noise of a car door slamming are all compositions. The purr of an engine is not the same in Asia as it is in Europe, and Coca Cola, Sprite and Big Macs taste differently from country to country. There is no product whose ideal combination of function and attractive form has not been someone’s particular headache. And many of these designs are inspired by nature. We have cars that look like beetles, railings styled like vines, and snail-shaped confectionery. Only one thing is almost entirely absent from nature: the straight line. The greatest designer of almost everything did not need the shortest line
between two points, as everything exists in parallel and is somehow intertwined. The straight line is an inspired invention of humankind’s. That is why the serpent in the Garden of Eden tempted Adam and Eve not with an apple, but with a ruler. The Son of God was nailed to a cross made of straight pieces of wood, and the stake on the pyres on which the Inquisition burned its victims was also straight. The straight line is heretical. Perhaps that is why Bauhaus architecture still provokes and confuses abstract art to such an extent with its strict concentration on lines and geometric shapes? Straight lines create clarity, either symmetry or asymmetry; they rule out ambiguity. Where untamed nature is wild and threatening, straight lines offer security. Barricade tape, boundary marks, streets – humans break the world down to a size they can manage. Straight lines are assertions, supports, that are hard to challenge. Even time as we imagine it is a straight line. Yet apparently it does not exist at all, or at least not as our limited imaginations would have it. Straight lines offer security, create places of refuge in a chaotic and incomprehensible world beyond our control. So perhaps Bauhaus architects are fearful people who want to distance themselves from abundant and threatening nature with clear lines, and create certainty and security. At the same time, they are also brave, for there is also something heretical, subversive and unnatural about their clean shapes. But if it is true that time does not exist, then those shapes have always been there. Long live the straight line.
franzobel
Photo: Dirk Skiba
Franzobel is an Austrian writer. He has published numerous plays, works of prose and poems. His plays have been produced in countries including Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Denmark, France, Poland, Romania, Ukraine, Italy, Russia and the USA.
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NEW MEMBER
There are hotels. And then there are hotels that coin their very own adjective. ExSEPPtional stands for the unusual – exceptional – lifestyle.
ex SEPP tional ALPINE BOUTIQUE HOTEL SEPP
the hotel and the words “Don’t panic” visible from below, is now a hallmark of the hotel. Then there are the Hutschn swings, the Meindl Lounge with lederhosen leather from the traditional costume supplier, and the traditional wooden shingles and old beams that create a link between tradition and modernity.
AUSTRIA SALZBURG / MARIA ALM
40 rooms
1
rooftop
Book online lifestylehotels.net/ hotel-sepp
Arrive, take a deep breath and enjoy the view. Maria Alm lies in the Hochkönig mountains, and the beauty of nature simply overwhelms the senses. Never has the alpine countryside been more inviting: this is the perfect place for hiking, mountain biking, golfing, skiing and above all simply “looking”. The Alpine Boutique Hotel SEPP is the ideal base camp for that purpose. Completed in 2018, the hotel consists of one timber and one glass building – two material worlds that complement each other perfectly.
Photos: moodley brand identity gmbh
Head into the SEPP and it almost feels like you’ve strayed through a side entrance. Nothing ostentatious, and everything to make you relax. But enter the lift designed like a cable car and emerge at the reception desk, and your breath will be taken away. Wherever you look is clever design with wonderful, elegant details. And it is those very details that define the hotel. The classic Airstream, extending over the rooftop with a sauna fitted especially for
The lifestyle hotel is a special place for special encounters, excellent quality of life, genuine happiness and countless moments of enjoyment and well-being. “To us, lifestyle is a very special attitude to life. Our hotel guests celebrate life ‘together in the thick of it’ in a stylish and relaxed ambiance and unconventional feel-good atmosphere. At the same time, the hotel has enough space and special spots for our guests to retreat on their own”, explains the proprietor. As for the staff’s look, it is immediately appealing. Red Converse shoes with jeans and a white top. Why the choice of the good old chucks? Because for Sepp, they are the epitome of casual. “Converse is not a shoe brand, it is an attitude.” It means always being a little different, in other words cherishing individuality. The rooms also
offer scope for individuality. Do you want it “Cosy” or “Roomy”? If you have trouble sleeping without your bike, you can choose the “Sporty” bedroom with all its space for equipment. Then there is the “Woody” room, and all those who want to celebrate life with charming extravagance can rest and relax in “Luxury” with its free-standing bath and panoramic mountain views. In case you’re wondering, you won’t find any children or young people here: the SEPP is a hotel for adults over the age of 21. For an unforgettable moment of happiness, drink in the view from the rooftop – from the Airstream sauna, the infinity pool, one of the Hutschn swings or, with a glass in your hand, from the sun terrace – of the breathtaking backdrop of the Steinernes Meer. Summer or winter, you will be back.
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THE Stylemate Issue No 01 | 2019
NEW MEMBER What do Salzburg and Venice have in common? More than a little, as the recently opened design Hotel Stein shows. The new hotel is a magnificent symbiosis between the festival and the canal city.
salzburg meets venice
AUSTRIA SALZBURG
56
rooms & suites
1
restaurant & rooftop bar
Book online lifestylehotels.net/ hotel-stein
HOTEL
Links between Salzburg and Venice do in fact go back a long way. Back in the late 16th century, Prince-Bishop Wolf Dietrich commissioned the Venetian architect Vincenzo Scamozzi to plan Salzburg’s redevelopment, and later, another Italian architect was employed to continue work on the cityscape. They gave the City of Salzburg the features for which it is now famous around the world. Hotel Stein is continuing the tradition of Austro-Venetian partnership in design today. Not without reason, for the long-established Venetian glass factory BAROVIER & TOSO is owned by the same family as the hotel. Guests sleep and move under lamps, chandeliers and glass artworks specially
STEIN
produced for the hotel, mostly in blue – in reference to the lagoon, and to the sky. The colourful materials that lift your mood and spirits come from the Venice-based textile company Rubelli. Large-format photographs by art photographer Luigi Caputo bring the cities right into the hotel. In the bathroom, you will find products from the Saint Charles brand. Saint Charles has raised pure, natural, pharmacy-standard cosmetics to cult products, true to its “Right to the Roots” motto. The products are also available to purchase from the hotel’s cool concept store. Every visitor to Salzburg should finish the day on the unique terrace on the 7th floor with its wonderful restaurant and trendy rooftop bar. Soak in the unforgettable view out over the city’s rooftops – and think about Venice and the Grand Canal.
Away from the hustle and bustle, Hotel Goldgasse lies in one of the magical historical lanes in Salzburg’s old town. The charming building is a homage to the famous Salzburger Festspiele.
a historical stage
GOLDGASSE
SALZBURG
16
rooms & suites
1
restaurant
Book online lifestylehotels.net/ hotel-goldgasse
Guests start the day with a delicious breakfast. Local, home-made and sweet delights from the kitchen are guaranteed to melt your heart. And it only gets better at lunch and dinnertime at Gasthof Goldgasse, which holds a Gault Millau toque. This cosy restaurant or high-end hostelry tastes of crunchy schnitzel, juicy tafelspitz (prime boiled beef), tangy dumplings and delicious sauce, and the best comes last: Salzburger Nockerl. Now that is a genuine Salzburg experience.
Photos: Luigi Caputo, Catalin Cucu, Edmund Barr
The boutique Hotel Goldgasse is an authentic establishment with genuine flair; a hidden gem that has subtly integrated the traces of the past into a new concept, instead of effacing them. Ceiling frescos, and in places the – amazingly beautiful – historical stucco work are a testimony to the quality of craftsmanship from a bygone era. A wall with patina alongside glass walls backed with photographs and large-scale scenes of the Festspiele are a delight to all theatre-lovers. Each room is a homage to the Festspiele. Visitors meet “Peer Gynt”, join “Jedermann’s” banquet, or line up with “The Soldiers”. Yet there is no compromising on comfort, with marble floors under your feet, a spa shower and “Herbal Treats” from the cult label Susanne Kaufmann.
AUSTRIA
HOTEL
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THE Stylemate Issue No 01 | 2019
NEW MEMBER At Das Tyrol Wittmann petal chairs gently draw you into their red velvet cushioning and the onyx leaves you bathed in the warmest light. Welcome to the Schatzkammer.
schatzkammer
AUSTRIA VIENNA
30 rooms
150 artworks
Book online lifestylehotels.net/ das-tyrol
DA S TYROL
“Das Tyrol reflects my personality one hundred percent”, says Helena Ramsbacher, the director and owner of the hotel located in Vienna’s Museumsquartier district. She sees her hotel as “modern art nouveau/baroque” in style – both extremely comfortable and, with the art on display, a genuine little treasure chamber. Speaking of treasure chambers, Helena Ramsbacher’s passion is art and design objects that are almost works of art in themselves. That is why the walls are hung with original artworks such as “Dolce Gabbana Girls in Red” by Attila Adorjan. The trained eye will discover fascinating details and simply enjoy the modern art.
Wall tiles in gold leaf, colours such as taupe and terracotta, a light parquet floor, red and velvet – these are the most obvious features of the treasure chamber. Walk past heavy ruched curtains, admire the sculptures on the staircase and head for the Chef’s Table, Helena Ramsbacher’s favourite design feature, in the Salon Löwin bar. If your appetite for art is now truly whetted, simply walk out the door and enter the Museumsquartier district or the nearby Kunsthistorisches Museum. When you return, an absolute must is the spa area with its light shower, sauna and steam bath, golden Bisazza tiles and crocodile-pattern design. “Where do I get my enthusiasm?”, asks Helena Ramsbacher. “From my grandfather, he loved art too.” Like so many good things, it runs in the family.
At the moment the sun kisses the water, the sky turns golden. And the best place to be at that moment is sitting on the terrace of exactly this beach house.
Photos: Hotel Das Tyrol: Christian Husar / Villa Vita: VILA VITA Parc
boho, oho! Just as the Praia de Galé, the longest and one of the most beautiful beaches in Portugal’s Algarve region, tempts you outside by day, the most alluring place by sunset is the terrace of the Villa Hibiscus Beach House with its grandstand seats for enjoying the evening light show. Villa Hibiscus is a whitewashed beach house with a spacious interior and private pool on the terrace, a wonderful garden and of course breathtaking views out over the Atlantic Ocean. Guests at Villa Hibiscus Beach House are amazingly lucky, for its perfect beach-side location is a genuine rarity. Other rarities include the beautiful works of art inside the Villa. Buddhas and elephants from Asia and Africa collected by the owners on their travels are displayed on sideboards and small tables. Boho-chic, the colours of the ocean and hand-crafted furniture from far-flung continents make this beach house a haven for travellers and
PORTUGAL THE ALGARVE
1
villa
4
bedrooms
Book online lifestylehotels.net/ en/villa-hibiscus---vila-vita-collection
beach-lovers alike. The 600 m2 villa has four bedrooms, a fully-equipped kitchen and a spacious living and dining area, and space for staff. The VILA VITA yacht, a private chef, butler and DJ can all be organised through the VILA VITA Collection concierge service. Nature-lovers can go birding in the neighbouring Salgados Lagoon nature reserve and catch spectacular glimpses of flamingos, waders, terns and the snowy egret. Night owls head to Albufeira before saying goodnight to their Bohemian lifestyle for this evening at least.
VILLA HIBISCUS B E AC H HOUSE
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THE Stylemate Issue No 01 | 2019
NEW MEMBER Those were the days at Lake Zell. High society promenaded in style, and patronised the very best lakeside establishment to indulge in a little entertainment.
SEEHOTEL BELLEVUE
elegant delights
She is the good angel and most welcoming face, and he is the culinary genius. They are committed to giving guests a crossover between history and modernity, between Zell’s “Belle Époque” at the turn of the century and an uncompromising modern interpretation. A concept that is reflected not just in architecture and design, but also in the cuisine.
Visit the multi-award-winning à la carte restaurant “SEENSUCHT” with its unique terrace and hotel bar and savour gourmet Salzburg-inspired Alpine-Mediterranean cuisine. Head chef and owner Michael Schnell and his team compose modern symphonies of hearty Salzburg treats and light Mediterranean delicacies. Excellent and beautifully presented crossover cuisine produced from local ingredients is paired with fine wines from the “Cave 1872”. The select assortment of wines comes from Austria, Italy, France, Croatia, Slovenia and Germany. It includes exciting finds such as the 2015 Battonage from the already legendary Club Batonnage in the Burgenland.
AUSTRIA SALZBURG / ZELL AM SEE
32
rooms & suites
150
years of tradition
Book online lifestylehotels.net/ seehotel-bellevue
Leave every ounce of tension behind in “LAISSEZ FAIRE”, the elegant spa area. You can also indulge in a beauty or cosmetic treatment if you want to get even prettier. The rooms and suits in warm beiges and greys with lots of wood are also places of calm, relaxation and retreat. Guests in the Deluxe tower suite with its balcony and private sauna will feel like absolute royalty. And it is definitely “très chic” to step into a boat from the hotel’s own landing place and, in fine weather, head for one of the bathing areas – or the Bellevue’s very own beach club, “VUE”. A jump into the not-so-chilly depths is not just for the brave, for Lake Zell can get up to 28 °C. If you prefer the green, the Bellevue is also the place for you. Two championship courses with 18 and 36 holes at Schmittenhöhe and Kitzsteinhorn offer sheer golfing delight between glacier and lake. “Bellevue” was the name given to the lakeside hotel by its founders nearly 150 years ago. They created a fashionable home of “diversions” with wonderful views of the lake and the majestic mountains. The passing years have changed many things, but the lake, the mountains and the unforgettable encounters. At the Bellevue – elegant delights since 1872.
Photos: Foto Lebesmühlbacher
Hotel Bellevue connects this spirit of a bygone era with all the comforts of today. With easy charm, its beach club, awardwining gourmet cuisine and a lake-view spa, this lakeside hotel offers pure and elegant delights. Elegant delights also defines how hosts Andrea and Michael Schnell operate their hotel, which is simply perfect for everyone seeking a feast for the senses and sheer relaxation.
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THE Stylemate Issue No 01 | 2019
STYLE
F L OAT I NG
Photo: Thonet
free The most famous design school of them all, the Bauhaus, is celebrating its 100th birthday. In this centenary year, there are countless opportunities to explore the roots of modernity and celebrate its most well-known designs. One is the cantilever chair, which ‘floats’ gently on its unique curve.
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THE Stylemate Issue No 01 | 2019
T H E B AUHAUS : AN I DE A , A S C HO OL AN D A T RA I L BL A Z E R . I N GE R MAN Y AN D AROU N D T H E WOR L D. Functional design and modern construction shaped an era, and the vision of the gesamtkunstwerk of art and crafts, architecture and design, and dance and theatre still inspires us today. Weimar, Dessau and Berlin were the three places in which the world-famous school of design operated and produced its creative output between 1919 and 1933. Today, the three towns are home to architectural icons, UNESCO world heritage sites and outstanding Bauhaus collections. To mark the anniversary, each town is also constructing a new Bauhaus museum for the 21st century. The Bauhaus-Archiv/Museum für Gestaltung in Berlin, the Stiftung Bauhaus Dessau and the Klassik Stiftung Weimar are all staging major exhibitions in 2019, the centenary year. However, it was in Stuttgart that the first models of the ‘free-floating’ cantilever chair were first presented. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, who was to become one of the world’s most influential architects, learned of the experiment by his Dutch colleague Mart Stam. In 1926, Stam presented his pioneering
design of a chair without back legs based on two cubes. Stam’s prototype was made of gas pipes and therefore rigid. The bends had to be created by inserting elbow joints. Mies van der Rohe used steel pipe and cold bending instead to retain the elastic properties of the material. He replaced the cubes with sweeping curves and made the chair bounce. Between 1926 and 1931, there were to be many different versions of the ‘freefloating’ cantilever chair, all impressive in their simplicity and elegance. Mart Stam developed his original design further, and Marcel Breuer’s S 35 combined all the functions of a steel tube cantilever chair in one continuous line that also included the arms. Breuer’s design took the free floating concept to a new level, with the seat and armrests moving separately. The cantilever chairs were, and still are, produced by Thonet.
Now, Thonet is issuing a centenary limited edition in the design’s honour: a reinterpretation by Studio Besau Marguerre. Designers Eva Marguerre and Marcel Besau from Hamburg have developed two new models of version S 533 F with armrests. Subtly matched, sensual colours and materials bring the iconic tubular steel armchair wonderfully up to date. The two new versions of the anniversary edition – one with a frame in pearl chrome and anthracite leather, and the second in champagne chrome with leather in pale pink – combine the functionalism of the Bauhaus with a warm look and feel. “To work with such a pivotal design was an extremely exciting task. Where most of the designs from the 1920s were simple and functional, this armchair clearly bears the signature of the architect: Mies combines functionality and comfort with timeless aesthetics – and that is exactly what we wanted to recreate in the present. We thought of the versatility of the Bauhaus classic, and soon realised that the S 533 F deserved more than a simple reinterpretation. That is how we came up with the idea of the pair”, says Marcel Besau. The result is two complementary versions that are also impressive on their own. From free floating to celebration.
1926
1931
MART
LUDWIG
STAM
MIES VAN DER ROHE
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THE Stylemate Issue No 01 | 2019
STYLE RET H I N K T H E WOR L D “Rethink the world” is the theme for a celebration of the Bauhaus centenary at locations across the country. Visitors are invited to explore the legacy of the school of design in Germany and throughout the world, and the inspiration that it offers for both our present and future. The Klassik Stiftung Weimar is opening a new museum at the site of the original Bauhaus in Weimar. From 6 April 2019, the Bauhaus Museum Weimar will not just be presenting the treasures of the world’s oldest Bauhaus collection in a new setting with modern architecture and multimedia exhibitions. The new museum building also links Weimar’s Bauhaus history to questions of how we shape – or design – our lifestyle today and tomorrow. It is an open and welcoming place; a platform for encounters and discussions in a new area shaped by Weimar modernity. The museum offers modern perspectives on the complex history of the impact of modern design, from its beginnings to the present day. To mark the anniversary, the exhibition at the Bauhaus-Archiv/Museum für Gestaltung in the Berlinische Galerie is displaying famous, well-known and forgotten original Bauhaus pieces and
telling the story behind the objects. “original bauhaus” presents 14 case studies on the basis of 14 objects. How did the woman sitting in the tubular steel chair become the most famous unknown figure of the Bauhaus? Does the house “Am Horn” in Weimar have a secret double? How did the tea infuser, created as an industry prototype, remain a one-off? Come and discover art and design from the Bauhaus-Archiv collection, loans from international collections, and artistic perspectives that provide a new angle on the Bauhaus legacy. When the Bauhaus Museum Dessau opens in 2019, we will for the first time be able to admire the Stiftung Bauhaus Dessau collection of around 40,000 exhibits in all its diversity and quality, and learn the story it tells of the Bauhaus in Dessau. “Versuchsstätte Bauhaus. Die Sammlung” is a 1500 m2 exhibition on the Bauhaus
collection, unique in Germany and the world, and tells the story of the epochmaking school in Dessau in a sequence of connected chapters. It was above all Dessau’s Hochschule für Gestaltung design school that worked on an “industrial culture of practical life” and contributed to “Bauhaus things” such as typefaces, furniture, textiles, wallpaper and architecture becoming an integral part of our everyday culture. bauhaus100.de
EXHIBITIONS “Das Bauhaus kommt aus Weimar”, Klassik Stiftung Weimar From 6 April 2019 “original bauhaus”, Bauhaus-Archiv/Museum für Gestaltung, on display at the Berlinische Galerie from 6 September 2019 – 27 January 2020 “Versuchsstätte Bauhaus. Die Sammlung.”, Stiftung Bauhaus Dessau From 8 September 2019
B O O K R E C O M M E N DAT I O N S “100 jahre bauhaus”, Taschen Verlag
BESAU
2019 MARCEL BREUER
Photos: Thonet / Frau im Clubsessel B3 von Marcel Breuer (Ausschnitt), 1927, Maske von Oskar Schlemmer, Kleid von Lis Beyer, Photo: Friederike Holländer, 2017, Klassik Stiftung Weimar, Stephan Consemüller (Erich Consemüller) / Buchcover: Taschen Verlag
MARGUERRE
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THE Stylemate Issue No 01 | 2019
shift
The fact that we have participant pools recruited by us on all continents is becoming ever more important on an increasingly globalised market. Every other euro in sales is already generated abroad.
However, I firmly believe that an attractive environment has a noticeable impact on staff motivation. Are you a design person?
H E IS A L S O H EL PI NG TO SAVE T H E BEE P OPUL AT ION AN D HA S A GREAT A F F I N I T Y FOR A RC H I T ECT URE AN D DESIGN.
Your office building won the Bauherrenpreis award. What was important to you in the design of your office? Tommy Schwabl: We did not really plan our office according to business criteria – there was a lot of love for architecture and design involved in the process. We completely gutted and revitalised an old winery in Baden bei Wien. The idea throughout was to combine old, existing structures with modern elements. There are certain parallels to our work in that approach. Even online research follows tried and tested rules – it simply does so in a new, modern interpretation. We could in principle also do our job as digital nomads.
T. S.: Some of my friends even call me a diva. But yes, I can get really excited about that kind of thing and I don’t mind taking four weeks to choose switches and plug sockets. And when it comes to design and art, above all street art and urban art, I am a real enthusiast. That enthusiasm for design includes other areas such as travel and hotels. Where others simply look for a place to stay, I can lose myself in design. I know that this kind of issue is a First World problem and what sets itself up as design is often consumerist rubbish – which is why it is important to me that design need not necessarily be sinfully expensive. Does “the bigger, the better” also apply in market research? T. S.: If we are talking about the quality of a sample, then size is relevant but is not the most important aspect. To extrapolate data for the population as a whole, the structure or stratification of the sample is much more important. For an online panel, however, the “size matters” principle absolutely applies. The larger the pool of consumers, the better we can reach niche target groups and the lower the risk of over-researching the field. What is your specialisation? T. S.: I love digital market and opinion research. The key weapon in our arsenal is a pool of more than 1.3 million people from 60 countries. What began nearly 20 years ago with online research is now increasingly becoming mobile research, in other words collection by smartphone. But one thing has not changed: we never use telephone, in-person or written interviews. Shift happens! What is your approach and what distinguishes you from other market researchers? T. S.: The main advantages of digital data collection are rapidity, multimediality, cost-efficiency and access to narrow target groups. Or to put it simply: before traditional institutes have even drawn up an offer, we’re already working on our final report. We also save our clients costs and can show product packaging, advertisement images and shelf displays in the questionnaire.
You currently also have two CSR projects under way. You are involved in the fight to save the bee population, and also are committed to promoting volunteering. T. S.: Exactly! Our first project is about saving bees and is a partnership with beekeeper Simon Tötschinger (LyLys honey) from Jois. We are investing 50 cents in establishing new bee hives in the Leitha Mountains for each new member who registers with our panel around the time of World Bee Day in May. Not only are we helping the local bee population, we are also getting our own honey. The second project is based on releasing staff who wish to volunteer. In our initiative “Social Friday”, we take Friday afternoon off together to give something back to society. On our first Friday, we are cooking for the homeless in Vienna. This both strengthens our team spirit and is genuinely valuable. Which study would interest you? T. S.: With more than 1000 surveys each year, we have already researched almost every topic and there are very few unexplored spots on my personal market research map. However, I would like to conduct a study on art in Austria because I want to understand market mechanisms better. I am interested in who collects, what their motives are, what the decision-making process is like and what budgets are invested. That fits with the award that you are offering. T. S.: Yes, indeed. We are funding an award for data visualisation and infographics for which we are collaborating with street artist Golif. We are currently at the final stage of development. At times in which data are omnipresent, we want to give a platform to those who are able to communicate complex content simply using images. We hope to find another few motivated partners to ensure the competition is as large as possible. This is a personal goal for me. marketagent.com
Photos: Architecture: Stefan Beer / Portrait: Paul Kolp
Tommy Schwabl is a successful online market researcher. He has access to a survey pool with 1.3 million members at Marketagent.com.
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THE Stylemate Issue No 01 | 2019
TOMMY SCHWABL In 2000, Tommy Schwabl launched Austria’s leading online market and opinion research institute.
Marketagent.com now carries out around 1000 online research projects each year, conducting more than one million Web interviews.
At the centre of Marketagent.com is an online panel of around 1.3 million participating consumers from 60 different countries.
happens!
STYLE
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THE Stylemate Issue No 01 | 2019
One collection that brings together design objects from all over the world?
world
wide
DESIGN E R S , PRODUC T S , MAN UFAC T U R E R S AN D DEA L E RS A R E A L L CON N E C T E D ON ON E UN IQUE AN D E X T E N SIVE MA R K ET PL AC E .
What does a porcelain Thermos coffee flask that looks like a little bird wearing a jumper have in common with a brutalist concrete vase and geometrical CORIAN jewellery? Answer: They are all part of the World Wide Things Collection (WWTC) and come from Mexico City, Montreal and Graz – the first cities to take part in this global collection of design objects from the Cities of Design. The UNESCO Creative Cities Network was set up in 2004 to promote cooperation with and between cities that have recognised creativity as a strategic factor in sustainable urban development. One hundred and eighty cities are now part of the Network, and work together internationally in seven different disciplines. The World Wide Things Collection was developed in 2017 as a new UNESCO Cities of Design project, and grew out of a collaboration between Anne Thomas (Montréal), Pierre Laramée (Montréal) and Eberhard Schrempf (Graz). It was initially
launched as a pilot project as part of Design Month Graz 2018. The curators’ vision was to create a platform from which both the creative community and business could benefit. The project is designed to showcase the wealth of good ideas and products, and harness the potential for partnership and exchange between the UNESCO Cities of Design. Designers, producers and dealers are able to present their products on a global platform, and are connected within the creative community. In short, the WWTC is a global marketplace for choice design products, and the growing selection is presented in a range of formats including exhibitions, shops, conferences, meetings and congresses. The Collection is literally a “hyperloop”: it showcases products created in UNESCO Cities of Design, and also facilitates the exchange of ideas, designs and best practice.
MEXICO CITY GEOMETRIC COLLECTION JEWELRY from 13&9 Design DOVE LOUNGE CHAIR by Florian Bamberger for VITEO PIMPOLLO by Gloria Rubio COMÈTE by Bipède
MONTREAL
Photos: Viteo Sessel: Viteo / Frau mit Schmuck: Markus Mansi / Pimpollo: Arta Cerámica / Lampe: Bipède
GRAZ
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THE Stylemate Issue No 01 | 2019
STYLE
It sounds almost impossible, but that is exactly what the World Wide Things Collection is about, collecting design from the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.
things N EX T S TOP : ISTAN BUL Objects from Istanbul are soon to be added to the Collection. The city west of the East and east of the West is a synthesis of the cultures that meet there. Istanbul was European City of Culture in 2010 and since 2017, the city on the Bosporus has been a UNESCO City of Design. Sertaç Ersayin, himself an industrial designer, is the curator of the WWTC in Istanbul. He is above all impressed by the production potential, by the range of products and by the designers and manufacturers’ enthusiasm for developing and distributing their products across the world – products that all carry the DNA of this vibrant city. To Ersayin, the essence of those products is gentle and warm, and they share a common design thread. Some objects are inspired by the coffee and tea culture and are strongly shaped by the local population and lifestyle; in other cases, there is a clear international influence. “If we look at design objects from Istanbul and what defines them, we find a great diversity both of products and of design.
SERTAÇ ERSAYIN Curator at WWTC Istanbul
I S TA N B U L
There is everything from everyday items to durable consumer goods – representatives of our cultural heritage or an attractive interpretation of technology. Coffee cups and teacups are a strong expression of our cultural heritage, while office furniture is technological and ultra-modern.” The new objects in the Collection will be on show for the first time in May at the “Design Month” in Graz. The focus will be on glass, ceramic and copper furniture and crockery. Don’t forget: the design products presented in the Collection can also be purchased through online shops.
Photos: Istanbul Design Bureau
designcities.net/wwtc/
BOSPORUS BRIDGE A link between East and West
THE Stylemate Issue No 01 | 2019
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T ELSE BUS F ROM HAM BURG I S ON E OF T H E OR IGI NAL F O OD DESIGN E R S .
TELSE BUS Her love of artistic work with food started in 1994 when she was a student at HfBK Hamburg. Since 2009, she has been working as a freelance designer and concept designer for brand and PR events, catering and the hotel business, and photo productions. Her work helps to bring the core statement of global brands to the consumer.
Photos: Portrait: Cecil Arp, cecilarp.com, Styling: Thea Bachem, ninaklein.com / Food: Michael Bennett, michaelbennett.de
organic glamour
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THE Stylemate Issue No 01 | 2019
HOTELS
She asks questions such as, “How does food get to our mouths?” and “What stories does a client want to tell guests about the hotel or the place?” And she is convinced that it’s hard to forget what has been inside you.
Where do you get your inspiration?
When did you start brand presentations?
What is food design and what defines a food designer? Telse Bus: There are different fields in food design. Each box of Eskimo ice cream is designed. But that is not what I do. I create messages in the form of cuisine. My design parameters are always related to how I interpret a message from my client through food. I would call it “form follows storytelling”. Brand, hotel or place – I transform the message synaesthetically and translate it into aromas, textures, colours and choreography. Food design as I see it is, above all, communication design. It is all about telling stories with “material” with the aim of communicating with diners or customers. How did you become a food designer? T. B.: I was enrolled at Hamburg University of Fine Arts, where I tried my hand at a lot of things: booth construction and shop design, set design, industrial design and painting. I like the combination of stories and material, but I did not want things that would accumulate or create clutter. Then, I attended a shamanism seminar run by an art professor. Shamanism is all about the transformation of sensations into material. That transformation of the non-material to the material and back was what inspired me to starting working with food. All people eat, and food of course disappears when eaten. I paint pictures in the hearts and heads of guests and nothing remains. That thought appealed to me.
T. B.: My first venture was a disco café in St. Pauli, “kochsalon”. The theme was “eating in pop culture” and the chefs were the DJs. They had their food sets and we staged food events such as “Burger für Bürger” [“Burgers for burghers”] with Rocko Schamoni and Maler 4000. That was in 1997. A few years later, the catering firm “the Foodists” was launched. Our work back then was absolutely international – we staged a food set for Vanessa Beecroft for Louis Vuitton in Berlin, worked in London for Dunhill on “Essence”, and in Sweden, where we presented chewing tobacco. We also developed modern food pairings for Hennessy and created an art kiosk at Art Berlin for the “Monopol” magazine. Which products do you enjoy working with most? T. B.: I am a fan of vegetable products and developed the vegetable-based culinary concept “Organic Glamour”. That involved working closely on the physics and biology of plants. I very much work on a methods basis rather than using recipes. I develop my food sets like pictures: the fundamental design is based on a shopping basket. Then I add something crumbly, something lumpy or something smooth. Small details are then interposed – details that give a sweet, salty, bitter, hot, sour and umami touch, playing with the taste buds. Plus something cold and something hot. Vegetable products are ideal for creating something approaching a paintbox. Nordic cuisine has added a great new perspective, for it represents nature in its true colours. Nowadays, we cook products that we couldn’t even eat before because we didn’t know how to prepare them. For Bocuse, it was like trying to move in clothing that was too tight. You could say that Nordic cuisine is like a pair of cool modern designer tracksuit trousers.
T. B.: From my surroundings! Usually when I’m taking my dog for a walk, that’s when I find it easiest to think. I like to joke with customers: “Careful, I’m from art school!” I translate emotionally like an Expressionist painter, in other words fairly freely. I always try to sense people’s feelings about a product or brand and to represent those feelings. My work offers people an opportunity to internalise the brand in the truest sense of the word. And once something has been inside you, is it more firmly planted in your mind than if you had just looked at it. How great a focus of your work is sensuousness? T. B.: To be honest, my work is based 100 percent on sensuousness. That distinguishes me from industrial food designers. When does food stir up our feelings and stimulate our senses? T. B.: As a culinary expert, I work on the eyes and mouth: these are the barriers we need to cross. I believe it is always important that all factors fit together: the “look” of the dishes, the “flow”, in other words the choreography, and the taste – the flavour and how it feels in your mouth. That is why I only work with very good chefs. I am committed to the overall experience. In your experience, what appeals to people? T. B.: Love. I believe that people feel when something has been created with love. Feeding someone creates trust. After breathing and sex, eating is surely the most democratic everyday activity. What do you like about working on brands? T. B.: I like brands, they are like people, and you can be creative and give them a culinary personality. I enjoy translating their messages.
What is the situation in the hotel sector? T. B.: The interplay between product – i.e. hotel – place and presentation has become very important. Today’s guests are well-informed and have ever higher expectations. For each target group, you need to explore what can maintain or reignite their enthusiasm. Experience is particularly important in the hotel business. What stories does a client want to tell guests about the hotel, the place or the region? I firmly believe that the guests want to experience and taste where they are. Hotels should be brave and create experiences for their guests that set them apart, instead of copying what everyone else does. Authenticity is important. Do you have any tips? T. B.: Develop food on a modular basis and create a stricter separation of the vegetable from the animal. The client can then order on a modular basis, and this is more efficient and saves resources. How can hotels benefit from your work? T. B.: I try to close the gap between the owner and the chef. I reinforce the statement on the hotel and the area. I tell their story and turn them into an experience. Cuisine allows us to express feelings and create rituals. No hotel advertisement can achieve what a culinary experience can. Another interesting point for the seasonal hotel trade in particular is that food concepts make the hotels more independent of their chef. One more question: can you cook? T. B.: Yes! In fact, I think I can theoretically cook better than many chefs. But I also work like other designers: the idea and the dummy come from me, and are then handed over to the professional craftspeople. telsebus.com
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THE Stylemate Issue No 01 | 2019
There is one word no one would use in connection with the new AIOLA LIVING Hotel in Graz’s old town, and that is “inconspicuous”. For one thing is clear: it is impossible to overlook this interior design.
LIVING
Floral carpets, feather lampshades, velvety furniture, and colours – and COLOURS. It seems like a mixture of The Grand Budapest Hotel and the Moulin Rouge. Sounds crazy? It is, but meant in the best possible way – and that is exactly how it feels when you enter the hotel. You could say “Neue Gemütlichkeit” to explain what owners Judith and Gerald Schwarz have designed and put together with hard work and a lot of passion for their “home from home”. For inspiration, they draw on their annual trips to the “Maison & Objet” in Paris, a buzzing trade fair for the latest living and design trends. “I love this fair and what I love even more is looking for the most beautiful objects and bringing them home with me. That is my way of sharing my pleasure with others”, enthuses Judith Schwarz. She must surely have
brought home several lorryloads to Graz for the AIOLA LIVING, for each of the 46 rooms and three apartments has its own individual design and contains – most unusually for a hotel – a whole range of decorative objects to make guests feel comfortable and at home. Magnificent vases, lovely plants (with watering instructions), a selection of lamps and funny animals. Everything captivating down to the last detail, and each object telling its own story. Each room also has a rain shower, wooden floor, box-spring bed, coffee maker and a host of other wonderful extras. “It is as if you were visiting a lovable, adventurous, wonderful and slightly crazy friend”, laughs hotel director Doris Raminger. She firmly believes that people who love an urban, creative lifestyle will love the AIOLA LIVING. The cakes and unashamedly delicious desserts from baking genie Hannah are also to die for. They can be enjoyed not just by the hotel guests, but by anyone with a sweet tooth – after the hotel breakfast, the coffee house opens its doors to everyone. This was important to Judith Schwarz and Doris Raminger. They wanted the hotel to be a magical place for Graz locals and not just guests from around the world. Both the coffee house and the gym with personal coaching from Matthias Snobe are open to the general public. And if you
can’t get enough of the Aiola lifestyle, simply explore the many options Graz has to offer. Alongside Restaurant Landhauskeller, the Asian dinner club Miss Cho and Club Katzekatze just round the corner from the hotel, Café Promenade, Aiola Upstairs at the Schlossberg and the Aiola im Schloss St. Veit are also part of the Aiola world. You could say that the AIOLA LIVING Hotel is for holidaymakers, business travellers, globetrotters, romantics, town planners, philanthropists and lovers of design. For everyone, even for dogs. If the hotel has given you inspiration for a new interior concept for your own home, then a trip to the AIOLA LIVING Store a bare 50 metres from the hotel is a must. You can more or less buy the hotel to take away. Just as the hotel’s motto says: “A stay to take with you.” aiolaliving.com
AUSTRIA STYRIA / GRAZ
7
suites
42 rooms
Boutique Hotel & Interior Store
Photos: Paul Bauer
AIOLA
THE Stylemate Issue No 01 | 2019
SO
WOW
29 HOTELS
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THE Stylemate Issue No 01 | 2019
DIRECTORY LIFESTYLEHOTELS
CHINA
AU S T R I A
Wildkogel Resorts Alpslodge Life.Style.Hotel.Fiss FÜGEN Alpina Zillertal family.lifestyle.hotel GASCHURN Montafon Lodge Luxury Lodgehotel und Spa GEINBERG Geinberg 5 Private Spa Villas GRAZ Augarten Art Hotel GRAZ Lendhotel GRAZ Roomz Graz GROSSARL Hotel Nesslerhof HALLSTATT Hallstatt Hideaway INNSBRUCK Nala Individuellhotel INNSBRUCK – KÜHTAI Jagdschloss Kühtai KALS AM GROSSGLOCKNER Gradonna Mountain Resort KALTENBACH Das Kaltenbach LÄNGENFELD Naturhotel Waldklause LEOGANG Puradies MARIA ALM Hotel Eder MARIA ALM Hotel Sepp MAYRHOFEN ElisabethHotel Premium Private Retreat MELLAU Sonne Lifestyle Resort MÖSERN Nidum Casual Luxury Hotel NAUDERS Aparthotel Arabella OBERGURGL Hotel The Crystal OBERTAUERN Hotel Panorama Obertauern SAALBACH HINTERGLEMM Alpin Juwel SALZBURG CITY Hotel Goldgasse SALZBURG CITY Hotel Stein SALZBURG CITY Hotel & Villa Auersperg SCHLADMING Stadthotel Brunner SERFAUS Alfa Hotel SÖLDEN Hotel Bergland Sölden UDERNS Sportresidenz Zillertal VIENNA Small Luxury Hotel Das Tyrol VIENNA Hollmann Beletage VIENNA Hotel Schani Wien ZELL AM SEE Eva Hof Lakeside Suites ZELL AM SEE Seehotel Bellevue ZELL AM SEE Senses Violett Suites
NANJING
BRAMBERG
Kayumanis Nanjing Private Villas & Spa
FISS
C R OAT I A SUTIVAN – BRAČ
Hotel Lemongarden
Photo: moodley brand identity gmbh
AU S T R I A , M A R I A A L M Hotel Sepp Page 15
Photo: Ydo Sol
G E R M A N Y, S A N K T E N G L M A R Berghotel Maibrunn, Page 13
Photo: 2018 Edmund Barr
AU S T R I A , S A L Z B U R G Hotel Stein Page 16
Photo: Hotel Das Tyrol, Christian Husar
AU S T R I A , V I E N N A Das Tyrol Page 17
LIFESTYLEHOTELS book directly with the hotel. Enjoy benefits! We offer hand-picked, independent & stylish hotels for design-oriented globetrotters and sophisticated travellers. Direct contact to the hotel First-hand information Best price Best availability LIFESTYLEHOTELS.NET
Photo: Foto Lebesmühlbacher
AU S T R I A , Z E L L A M S E E Seehotel Bellevue Page 18
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THE Stylemate Issue No 01 | 2019
DIRECTORY LIFESTYLEHOTELS
GERMANY
P O R T UG A L
Der Klosterhof Das Graseck HUSUM AN DER NORDSEE Thomas Hotel Spa & Lifestyle NÜRNBERG Art&Business Hotel SANKT ENGLMAR Berghotel Maibrunn STUTTGART V8 Hotel STUTTGART V8 Hotel Classic TIMMENDORFER STRAND SAND TIMMENDORFER STRAND Hotel Seehuus
Vila Joya Vila Valverde ALGARVE Vila Vita Collection MADEIRA Quinta da Bela Vista
BAYERISCH GMAIN
ALGARVE
GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN
ALGARVE
Photo: mindpark_danielzangerl
AU S T R I A , O B E R G U R G L The Crystal Page 9
S PA I N
Lavida Hotel Convent de la Missio MALLORCA Font Santa Hotel MALLORCA Hotel Can Simoneta MALLORCA Hotel Glòria de Sant Jaume MALLORCA Hotel Tres MALLORCA Pleta de Mar GIRONA
MALLORCA
H U NG A RY BUDAPEST
Lanchid 19
I TA LY S R I L A N KA
Casa Angelina AMALFI COAST Relais Blu BRIXEN Hotel Pupp CAMAIORE Locanda al Colle TIROLO NEAR MERANO Der Küglerhof GSIES La Casies ISSENGO Gourmet & Boutiquehotel Tanzer CALABRIA Praia Art Resort LIVIGNO Hotel Larice MERAN/O Suiteseven Stadthotel Meran/o MERANSEN Hotel Gitschberg MONTEFOLLONICO Follonico RIMINI i-Suite RIVA DEL GARDA Holiday IV Gardan SAN CANDIDO Post Hotel – Tradition & Lifestyle SARDINIA La Coluccia Hotel VENICE LIDO Hotel Villa Pannonia AMALFI COAST
DICKWELLA SOUTH
UTMT – Underneath the Mango Tree
Photo: Luigi Caputo
AU S T R I A , S A L Z B U R G Hotel Goldgasse Page 16
SWITZERLAND
Parkhotel Bellevue & Spa Hotel des Balances SAMNAUN Alpinlodge & Spa ZERMATT Hotel Matterhorn Focus ADELBODEN LUCERNE
Photo: Andre Schönherr
I TA LY, M E RA N S E N Hotel Gitschberg Page 9
Photo: VILA VITA Parc
P O R T U G A L , A L G A RV E Villa Hibiscus Page 17
Photo: Hotel des Balances
S W I T Z E R L A N D , LU C E R N E Hotel des Balances Page 13
I M PRI N T Media Owner & Publisher: Prime Time Touristik & Marketing GmbH, Schmiedgasse 38/1, 8010 Graz. Responsible for Content: Thomas Holzleithner & Hardy Egger. Editor in Chief: Mag. Nina Prehofer. Managing Editor: DI(FH) Christin Maier-Erlach. Cover-Photo: stefan moses Begegnungen mit Peggy Guggenheim. © stefan moses/Elisabeth Sandmann Verlag 2017. Art Director: VON K Brand Design. Copy editor: Mag. Marlene Zeintlinger. Ads: office@thestylemate.com Printed by: Medienfabrik Graz, 8020 Graz. Place of Publication: Graz. Publication: 3 x yearly
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