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    GS Design repeats arch motifs throughout Sumei Skyline Coast hotel on Hainan Island

    Cresting ocean waves served as a blueprint for the arched forms found on the interior and exterior of this beachside hotel that GS Design has created in Sanya, China.

    Located on the tropical island of Hainan, the Sumei Skyline Coast hotel was designed to reference its immediate environment.
    Arches feature on the interior and exterior of the Sumei Skyline Coast hotelThe building’s facade is punctuated by curved windows and balconies that suggest rolling waves, and is painted in a crisp shade of white to contrast the rich blues of the surrounding sea and sky.
    “We worked to craft the space into a timely and sophisticated art piece with a long lifespan of usage by adopting this classic colour,” explained Chinese architecture firm GS Design.
    Sculptural white furnishings decorate the lounge areaOn the ground floor, a series of upside-down arches runs along the wooden decking adjoining the infinity pool.

    More spots for swimming are found on the expansive roof terrace as well as in the first-floor lounge, where stepping stones lead over a curvy-edged indoor pool.
    The light-filled room is otherwise dressed with a couple of potted plants and an array of sculptural white armchairs with matching side tables.
    Stepping stones lead over the curvy-edged poolThe curved shapes seen on Sumei Skyline Coast’s exterior are echoed throughout its guest rooms, which are accessed via vaulted corridors.
    Some rooms have circular skylights or huge round headboards that project over the beds. Others feature arched recesses accommodating cushioned bench seats or vanities.

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    All bathrooms come complete with a standalone tub, positioned next to the windows to give guests optimum views of the island beyond.
    In keeping with the rest of the hotel, the guest rooms are finished completely in white with textural interest provided by tufted beige decorative cushions that are scattered over the soft furnishings.
    Arched or rounded forms are incorporated into the guest roomsGS Design was established in 2014 and is based in Shenzhen.
    The studio’s Sumei Skyline Coast project joins a number of hotels that have recently opened across China. Among them is BAN Villa, which was designed to look like a “floating village”, and Grotto Retreat Xiyaotou, a hotel modelled on ancient cave dwellings.
    The photography is by Ao Xiang.
    Project credits:
    Architecture, interiors and furnishing: GS DesignDesign directors: Liangchao Li, Yuanman HuangDesign team: Chao Li, Zigeng LuoFurnishing director: Yu Feng

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  • Maison François brasserie in London takes cues from Ricardo Bofill's architecture

    Soaring arches reminiscent of those seen in Ricardo Bofill’s La Fabrica feature in this decadent restaurant in St James, London designed by creative director John Whelan.Whelan – who leads artist collective The Guild of Saint Luke – told Dezeen that, prior to his intervention, Maison François simply looked like “one giant concrete cube”.
    The materiality of the space immediately encouraged Whelan to base his interiors scheme around La Fabrica – an abandoned cement factory just outside of Barcelona that Spanish architect Ricardo Bofill transformed into offices for his practice in 1973.

    The interiors of the restaurant are inspired by Ricardo Bofill’s La Fabrica
    “I always try and find a creative route that respects the DNA of the building, and this felt appropriate,” said Whelan.

    “Furthermore, the client wanted to reference historic brasseries but create a contemporary version – also reflected in the food.”

    Arched recesses have been made in the restaurant’s terracotta walls
    The exterior of Bofill’s La Fabrica is notably punctuated with soaring arched windows. These have been reinterpreted inside Maison François, which boasts terracotta-coloured stucco walls inset with shallow arch-shaped recesses.
    “La Fabrica is probably the greatest home that I will probably never visit, and so the arches were a sort of ‘homage’ to that wonderful creation,” explained Whelan.

    Tubular chandeliers hang from the restaurant’s ceiling
    Walnut has been used to craft the restaurant’s seating banquettes – their latticed backs are inspired by the pews in Germany’s modernist Maria Heimsuchung church, which Whelan came across in a photography series by Robert Goetzfried.
    Chairs have been upholstered in creamy linen to match the colour of the lacquered-wood dining tables. Tubular chandeliers have also been suspended from the ceiling, which has been finished with a faux-cement patina.

    The seating banquettes are crafted from walnut wood
    Mahogany has been used to craft a latticed hood above the open kitchen, where dishes that draw upon traditional French cuisine will be prepared.
    Food will be served by both chefs and waiters, an attempt by the restaurant to diffuse the typical boundaries between front and back-of-house operations.
    “Maison François will be everything a brasserie should be – welcoming, fun and hospitable, with classic dishes made with the best seasonal produce we can get our hands on – whilst also ripping up the rulebook when it comes to service,” said the restaurant’s founder, François O’Neill.

    A huge clock sits above the restaurant’s open kitchen
    At the centre of the hood is a huge clock that Whelan had made bespoke from patinated nickel and bronze.
    Weighing half a ton, the grills on the side of the clock are meant to subtly mirror those that feature on the front of vintage Rolls Royce cars, often seen outside the restaurant on the affluent streets of St James.

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    “The clock is a classic of historic brasserie design, and can be found around the world from Bouillon Julien in Paris to Fischer’s in London,” added Whelan.
    “We wanted to have this iconic focal point but with our own style.”

    Underneath the restaurant is a wine bar called Frank’s
    Stairs lead down to Maison François’ adjoining wine bar, called Frank’s. This space is intended to have a slightly more industrial feel, so has been completed with exposed white-brick walls, polished concrete flooring and black-leather seating.
    Bofill’s La Fabrica is referenced again at this level but this time in the form of arched mirror wall panels.

    White-brick walls give the wine bar a more industrial look
    John Whelan established The Guild of Saint Luke in 2017, working with artists, artisans and architects to restore and revive historic French brasseries.
    Earlier this year Whelan overhauled Parisian eatery Nolinski, filling its interiors with art deco-inspired details like gold-leaf “sunburst” columns.
    Photography is by Oskar Proctor.

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