A hotel designed by Berlin architects J Mayer H, Krakow practice OVOTZ Design Lab and GD&K Consulting opens today in Krakow, Poland.
Called SOF, the building is clad in aluminium with windows framed by dark horizontal bands across the facade.
Photographs are by Jakub Kaczmarczyk, Ovotz design Lab.
More Dezeen stories about J Mayer H Architects:
Level Green
Brauner Wegner Priehn centre for dentistry
J Mayer H book competition
Home.Haus foster home
An den Alster office building
Steckelhoern 11 office building
Danfoss Universe theme park extension
Chit.Chat and Positive.Negative art installations
Here’s some text from J Mayer H Arhictects:
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Opening of SOF – Hotel Park Inn, Krakow, Poland
October 8th 2009 marks the opening of SOF, the new Hotel Park Inn, Krakow, Poland designed by J. MAYER H. architects in collaboration with GD&K Consulting Sp. z o.o. and OVOTZ Design LAB.
The hotel is being constructed in the city centre, at the intersection of important transport routes. The hotel is located in the vicinity of the planned Congress Centre as well as near to the Wawel Castel and the histrorical Jewish district.
It offers splendid views onto the old city centre. The new property is characterized by clear horizontal line, picking out the panorama-view as a central theme. The Facade is emphasized by black and white aluminium stripes, seperated by dark glass windows.
Opening: 8th October 2009, 9 PM
Location: SOF – Hotel Park Inn, Krakow, Poland
Investor: SOF Debniki Development sp. z o.o.
Client: GD&K Consulting Sp. z o.o., SOF Debniki Development Sp. z o.o. (UBM + GD&K Group)
Architect: J. MAYER H. Architects with OVOTZ design Lab.
General Constructor: PORR (Polska) S.A.
Project Management: UBM Polska sp. z o.o.,
Project Administrator: GD&K Consulting sp. z o.o.,
Interior Design: JOI-Design GmbH with OVOTZ design Lab.
Project: 2005-09
Completion: 2009
Photographer: Jakub Kaczmarczyk, Ovotz design Lab
Project Team: Juergen Mayer H., Marcus Blum, Jan-Christoph Stockebrand, Wojciech Witek, Magdalena Skoplak-Seweryn, Jakub Kaczmarczyk
Build for The Rezidor Hotel Group
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Posted by Rose Etherington
October 8th, 2009 at 2:52 am
That surface in the 3rd last picture is beautiful. Reminds me of a car’s surface. Do you think automotive are (finally) catching up to architecture or for the first time is architecture borrowing aesthetic from automotive?
Interesting design none-the-less although the weight and shape of the building reminds me more of a hospital exterior than a hotel.
October 8th, 2009 at 5:37 am
so wrong it’s wright
October 8th, 2009 at 6:34 am
Thanks for not hiding everything behind perfectly shot/cropped/post-edited photos.
Last picture shows what a monstrosity this project really is.
October 8th, 2009 at 7:40 am
J. Meyer is the only architect let me feels the precise of architecture
October 8th, 2009 at 7:41 am
Nice! Could’ve been a taller building for impact… has a little bit of Zaha feel to it…
October 8th, 2009 at 8:19 am
Oh a filleted Volkswagen factory!
October 8th, 2009 at 9:13 am
Hi Guys,
Just want to be the first here to congratulate you, this is a very very nice project!
Grusse,
Carlos
October 8th, 2009 at 9:30 am
ss
October 8th, 2009 at 12:07 pm
looks like an office building (where I wouldn’t want to work)
certainly not a hotel.
October 8th, 2009 at 12:41 pm
Usually I like J Mayer H`s work very much, but this here? Really, whats the concept here? Its a standard roadside hotel with a nice facade. Did he really design it this way or is it a conversion of an existing building?
October 8th, 2009 at 1:44 pm
that last picture certainly tells the whole story. it’s just a standard hotel plan form with some stick-on panels to make it look a bit rounded at the corners and sculpted. this is one of the finest examples of putting lipstick on a gorilla that i’ve seen in a long time
October 8th, 2009 at 2:17 pm
tis like a poor and budget interpretation of a zaha.. I’m no zaha fan but this at least helps you see that they do it more whole-heartedly
October 8th, 2009 at 2:22 pm
This is what I call irresponsible architecture. The comment about the Gorilla with a lipstick seems to be quite relevant. Our Urban landscape is littered with many such examples that have nothing to do with the environment these projects are put in but a mere whimsical representation of the so called “designer’s” ego. I would not even compare it to the automobile because that is of little relevance here. What is the real story here folks?
October 8th, 2009 at 2:37 pm
It will look out-dated and old fashioned very soon!
October 8th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
its like a circuit board in 3d…. i like it!
October 8th, 2009 at 3:16 pm
the black building behind the perfect detailed but boring aluminium facade was already existing right?
October 8th, 2009 at 3:18 pm
agree: it s an hospital.
October 8th, 2009 at 3:24 pm
the dutch word -sof- means failure.
October 8th, 2009 at 5:55 pm
is this just a facade renovation or new construction?
October 8th, 2009 at 7:40 pm
in times of postmodernism the decorated box was en vogue. unles the inner spatial qualities or programmtic finesse is unveiled this is not more than a decorated standard hotel.
some curves do not maek better architecture
October 8th, 2009 at 9:06 pm
Robocop headquarters
October 8th, 2009 at 11:11 pm
I hope i wont be concern as an arrogant but this building is so out of space so completely unsuitable for this city.have y ever been in Cracow ?have y ever seen what kind of architectural history does the city reflect….?
This building is a simple example of the another signature of this office ….and it is so common approach nowadays.
October 8th, 2009 at 11:32 pm
This was my first thought exactly.
“DN3 Says:
October 8th, 2009 at 2:37 pm
It will look out-dated and old fashioned very soon!”
October 9th, 2009 at 2:13 am
the facades make the building so old-fashioned
October 9th, 2009 at 2:37 am
it’s graphic design. no more, no less
October 9th, 2009 at 6:50 am
yes.. it do looks like zaha, designs from the exterior to the interior..
October 9th, 2009 at 8:33 am
hahaha
October 9th, 2009 at 8:39 am
im confuse? i read a lot of article criticizing her (zaha) design but i also see a lot of buildings that looks like her design…. hmmmmm
October 9th, 2009 at 9:46 am
My first impressions is my still with me, where I hate this building. I’m not sure about this kind of genre. Sure for cool nightclub interiors where the club can do a revamp in 5 years to keep things fresh, but a whole, huge building in a gorgeous city of my birth, Krakow. Gotta be kidding me. My grandmother has good taste and she would shriek if she saw this.
Some of the windows are incorporated, but it looks like too much facade-ism to me. I’m not sure I agree with concepts like “dynamic”.. It’s a building. It’s not going to move.. people move through it. Anyways. Not impressed at all with this one.
October 9th, 2009 at 12:45 pm
looks like bad reconstruction.thaks for not canceling my entry…:)
October 9th, 2009 at 1:37 pm
http://www.baunetz.de/meldungen/Meldungen-Hotel_von_J._Mayer_H._in_Krakau_835515.html?backurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baunetz.de%2Fmeldungen%2Findex.html&bild=7
the best picture at all!!!
October 10th, 2009 at 12:23 pm
SRY,,ithink itis offices building
October 10th, 2009 at 12:43 pm
it already looks outdated and old fashioned, 2 days after its opening
October 14th, 2009 at 10:14 pm
Where are the trees?