The Rebello Hotel occupies former factory along Porto’s riverside
CategoriesInterior Design

The Rebello Hotel occupies former factory along Porto’s riverside

This hotel by architecture studio Metro Urbe occupies a series of former industrial buildings on the banks of the River Douro in Porto, Portugal, and features interiors by Quiet Studios.

The Rebello Hotel is spread across several 19th-century buildings, which have been overhauled and adapted with new additions by Metro Urbe, in Vila Nova de Gaia – across the river from the city proper.

Reception desk with metal lattice front and hoop-shaped lights aboveReception desk with metal lattice front and hoop-shaped lights above
At The Rebello Hotel, nods to the site’s industrial past and Porto’s nautical history can be found in artworks and decor choices

Operated by Bomporto Hotels, which has two properties in Lisbon, the new addition to its portfolio was designed with a local approach and to take full advantage of its prime riverside location.

The Rebello is named after Porto’s famous rabelos – wooden boats that used to transport barrels of port wine down the river – and located beside the city’s only remaining boatyard.

Bar and cafe area with polished concrete floors and exposed ceiling ductworkBar and cafe area with polished concrete floors and exposed ceiling ductwork
The lobby bar and cafe was designed for digital nomads to work and relax

The collection of buildings was once a kitchen utensil factory and had been unoccupied for some time before work began to reconfigure the site.

The team restored two long buildings that face onto the river, preserving their historic stone facades, and constructed two new volumes in the centre of the site that incorporate smaller original structures and resolve the sloping topography.

A variety of soft seating options in an industrial-style spaceA variety of soft seating options in an industrial-style space
A variety of soft seating options enliven the industrial-style interiors of the hotel’s communal spaces

Presented with a blank canvas, Spanish interior designer Daniela Franceschini – founder of Lisbon-based Quiet Studios – worked with local artists and creatives to transform the industrial spaces into warm and comfortable guest facilities.

Using vintage and contemporary objects, she based the interiors around four key elements: water, wine, wood and industry.

Bright bedroom with neutral decor and wavy walnut headboardBright bedroom with neutral decor and wavy walnut headboard
Bedrooms are bright and neutral, with splashes of colour introduced through contemporary furniture

“There’s a nautical feel to the colours, materials and textures,” said Franceschini. “That also comes through in the lighting, which is suggestive of floating and sailboats, and in the lamps with chains, the wooden shelves by Tomaz Viana, the ceramic nets by Fig Studio and the undulating mirrors that evoke the movement of the sea.”

Above the retro-style reception counter, fronted by a metal lattice, is an artwork crafted using reclaimed materials from the rabelos, which was designed by Studio Ther in collaboration with a local artisan.

Double-height living and dining room with a long pendant lamp suspended over the tableDouble-height living and dining room with a long pendant lamp suspended over the table
Guest room types vary from studios to three-bedroom penthouse apartments

The lobby lounge and bar was designed for digital nomads to work or relax on a variety of comfortable soft seats, within a bright space that features polished concrete floors and exposed ceiling ductwork.

As a nod to the site’s history, the ground-floor Pot&Pan restaurant serves family-style dishes in large pots and pans within a space decorated with dark-toned walls and plants to create a casual atmosphere.

There’s also a cafe and store selling local produce and crafts, and meeting rooms that can be hired separately or combined for private events.

The Rebello Hotel’s 103 guest rooms and apartments are split into 11 different types, ranging from studios to three-bedroom penthouses that span 37 to 195 square metres.

Spa with textured plaster walls, and globe-shaped lights over a large poolSpa with textured plaster walls, and globe-shaped lights over a large pool
The hotel’s spa is modelled on ancient Roman baths

The interiors of its light-filled suites have been decorated with walnut, steel, concrete and tiles, along with contemporary furniture that introduces splashes of bright colour to the otherwise neutral palette.

The bedrooms also include “tailor-made pieces influenced by nautical and industrial design, such as the sinks inspired by old water tanks and the organically styled bed headboards that resemble the rippling waters of the Douro”, according to the design team.

Lounge chairs under umbrellas overlooking the Douro RiverLounge chairs under umbrellas overlooking the Douro River
The fourth-floor rooftop bar offers views across the Douro River to the Porto skyline

The Rebello Hotel guests can enjoy a spa, modelled on ancient Roman baths and encompassing a heated pool, sauna, fitness centre and treatment rooms.

Finally, the Rooftop Bello bar on the fourth floor offers a spot for al fresco cocktails overlooking the river, with a view of the city’s terracotta-tiled skyline beyond.

Aerial view of The Rebello Hotel showing the layout of its terracotta-roofed buildingsAerial view of The Rebello Hotel showing the layout of its terracotta-roofed buildings
The riverside site, a former kitchen utensil factory, was converted and extended by architects Metro Urbe

Other interior design projects in Porto include a rustic restaurant interior designed by Space Copenhagen, which features a ceramic mural by Álvaro Siza, and a sushi bar by Paulo Merlini where 8,000 wooden chopsticks hang above diners.

The photography is by Francisco Nogueira.

Reference

W Budapest hotel occupies 19th-century Drechsler Palace
CategoriesInterior Design

W Budapest hotel occupies 19th-century Drechsler Palace

Interior design studios Bowler James Brindley and Bánáti + Hartvig have transformed a 140-year-old neo-Renaissance building in central Budapest into the latest outpost from hotel chain W Hotels.

W Budapest is set inside the 1886 Drechsler Palace designed by architects Ödön Lechner and Gyula Pártos, previously home to a grand cafe and the headquarters of the Hungarian State Ballet Academy.

Bowler James Brindley transforms 19th-century palace into W Budapest
Bowler James Brindley and Bánáti + Hartvig have renovated Drechsler Palace

Working with local studio Bánáti + Hartvig, London-based Bowler James Brindley (BJB) wanted to draw out the glamorous history of the building, which had stood empty for 15 years before being acquired by W Hotels’ owner Marriott International.

BJB aimed to “playfully modernise” the interiors while drawing on the architecture of the surrounding area on Andrássy Avenue – a UNESCO World Heritage site that’s also home to the Hungarian State Opera House.

Bowler James Brindley transforms 19th-century palace into W Budapest
The building now houses the 151-room W Budapest hotel

Alongside 151 rooms and suites, the building now houses a restaurant, lounge, spa and speakeasy.

“The challenge from the outset was not to be overawed by the beauty and strength of the building,” BJB partner Ian Bayliss told Dezeen.

“Many original details of Drechsler Palace were studied and re-imagined, as were original colours and textures. Protected architecture has been carefully restored and celebrated, and original glazed tiles have been reused.”

Bowler James Brindley transforms 19th-century palace into W Budapest
Gridded metal screens surround the beds in the guest rooms

Central to BJB’s conversion was the re-establishment of the palace’s two original entrances. This allowed the studio to free up the spaces bordering Andrassy Avenue and create a “living room” within the building’s light-filled inner courtyard, which has been enclosed by a glass roof.

Tasked with modernising the building’s interiors while adhering to heritage protection rules, BJB made what it calls “second skin” interventions, which included the creation of new “corridors” within the palace’s ornate arches using freestanding, fret-cut installations.

The bathrooms in W Budapest reference a chessboard
In the bathrooms, checkerboard tiles reference Hungary’s affiliation with chess

“We wanted to respect the fabric and ‘skin’ of Drechsler Palace so we set about designing spaces, which created a new atmosphere while not touching the beautifully restored fabric,” Bayliss explained.

The studio took the same approach to the restoration of the palace’s vaulted basement spa, which uses “Houdini-inspired” mirror illusions to create a feeling of never-ending space.

Curving bronze metal installations follow the vaulted ceilings, while dimly lit treatment rooms were inserted within the natural spaces left by existing columns.

“In homage to Houdini, the treatment rooms are completely mirror-clad and essentially disappear, literally reflecting the existing architecture and the new second-skin installations,” Bayliss said, referencing Hungarian-born magician Harry Houdini.

Bowler James Brindley transforms 19th-century palace into W Budapest
Turquoise wall panelling is contrasted with gold-toned details

In the guest rooms, turquoise wall panelling is contrasted with the gold-toned screens that wrap the beds, while mirrored checkerboard doors with brass details nod to Hungary’s long ties to the game of chess.

The chess theme continues in the bathrooms, where monochrome checkerboard tiling is offset by handmade terrazzo-lined double sinks and lightbulb-framed Hollywood mirrors that pay tribute to Hungarian-American socialite Zsa Zsa Gabor.

“The combination of a beautiful free-standing French Renaissance-inspired building by a famous local architect with a modern, idiosyncratic interior inserted into it could only happen in Budapest,” Bayliss said.

The hotel opens later this month

Set to open later this month, W Budapest follows the opening of the brand’s Rome outpost in 2021.

Previous projects by Bowler James Brindley include several guest rooms at the W Barcelona and apartments on the lower levels of Herzog & de Meuron’s One Park Drive skyscraper in Canary Wharf.

Other hotels recently featured on Dezeen include a “thoughtfully designed” brutalist hotel in Mexico and Capella Hotels’ Sydney outpost, which is housed within a heritage-listed former government building.

The photography is courtesy of W Budapest. 

Reference