LONDON–(Business Wire)–
As a reflection of its dedication and passion for innovation, W Hotels
Worldwide, the hotel category buster, has partnered with Design Miami/ to
present the works of the 2010 W Hotels Designers of the Future Award. This
alliance will allow Design Miami/Basel to expand the benefits that the award
brings to the winners, including the chance for the commissioned projects to
have a life after the fair through practical applications within W`s hotels
around the world.
The 2010 W Hotels Designers of the Future Award recognizes designers working in
innovative ways – whether with new materials, new processes, or new approaches
and gives the next generation of design creatives the opportunity to present
newly commissioned work to a large and powerful audience.
The 2010 W Hotels Designers of the Future Awards winners were announced during
Salone del mobile in Milan:
Beta Tank
Graham Hudson
rAndom International
Zigelbaum + Coelho
These four winners were chosen by a selection committee comprising Ambra Medda,
Director, and Wava Carpenter, Associate Director, Design Miami/; Mike Tiedy,
SVP, Global Brand Design and Innovation, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide,
Inc; and Marcus Fairs, Editor-in-Chief, Dezeen.com.
“Innovation is at the core of W`s design philosophy,” says Mike Tiedy. “The work
of these four winners represents exactly the type of forward-thinking design
that W Hotels seeks to bring to its new and existing hotels around the globe.”
“W Hotels has been a design-led lifestyle brand and an innovator in its category
from its inception in 1998,” says Eva Ziegler, Global Brand Leader, W Hotels
Worldwide. “We are thrilled to partner with Design Miami/Basel and to be
involved in identifying the cutting-edge works of these upcoming and emerging
young talents and look forward to showcasing their work to a global audience at
W Hotels.”
While the prize has always featured unique and groundbreaking design work
embodying the most progressive attitudes of each year, this year`s award pushes
the drive towards experimentation further than ever. Exploring design work
created at the very edges of the discipline, the 2010 W Hotels Designers of the
Future Award will look beyond pure product and furniture design to embrace
conceptually and technologically vanguard work that bridges multiple areas of
practice including art, sociology, and science.
When W opened its first hotel in New York in 1998, it created a new era of hotel
design and established itself as the clear leader in the contemporary lifestyle
hotel space. Every W Hotel demonstrates a passion for cutting-edge design,
rooted in its location and interpreted in a contemporary cool way that is
brought to life through unique collaborations with upcoming as well as renowned
third party and in-house designers. From the Ottoman-referenced glam of W
Istanbul to the design inspired by the dual personality of the British man at
the upcoming W London – Leicester Square (Fall 2010), each new W Hotel begins
with a design philosophy formed by Starwood`s in-house design team and is then
fueled and delivered by a unique collaboration between the designers,
architects, graphic designers, and W`s Global Fashion and Music Directors.
ABOUT W HOTELS WORLDWIDE
W Hotels is an innovative, contemporary, design-led lifestyle brand and the
hotel category buster with 35 hotels and retreats in the most vibrant cities and
exotic destinations around the world. Inspiring, iconic, innovative and
influential, W Hotels provides the ultimate in insider access to a world of
“Wow.” Each hotel offers a unique mix of innovative design and passions around
fashion, music and entertainment. W Hotels offers a holistic lifestyle
experience that is integrated into the brand’s sensibility through contemporary
restaurant concepts, glamorous nightlife experiences, stylish retail concepts
and signature spas. With more than 10 years of proven success, W Hotels is on
track to more than double its footprint by 2011. W Hotels and W Retreats have
been announced for Downtown New York, London, Paris, St. Petersburg, Guangzhou,
Shanghai, Taipai, Bali, Koh Samui, and Verbier, among other international
destinations. For more information, visit www.whotels.com.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts, EAME Division
Jenni Benzaquen, +32 (0) 2204 5494
Director of External Communications
Mob: +32 (0) 496 199 194
jenni.benzaquen@starwoodhotels.com
or
For W Hotels Worldwide
Elaine Drebot/THINK PR, +1 212-343-3920
edrebot@thinkpublicrelations.com
Copyright Business Wire 2010
