Bangkok studio Department of Architecture have installed rippling fabric fins hanging from the ceiling of this hotel lobby in Pattaya, Thailand.
Located on the 17th floor of a tower over the beach, the Hilton Pattaya Hotel lobby was designed to draw visitors from a central elevator towards the windows and sea view beyond.
Air conditioning causes the fabric sheets to sway and ripple across the ceiling.
Here are some more details from the architects:
Lobby & Bar
The space given for a luxury hotel lobby and bar occupies the 17th floor of a tower high above the bustle of Pattaya beach below.
Configuration of the space was challenging due to relatively low ceiling-height comparing to its depth and width. Its accessibility was another challenge. Elevators bringing guests from the hotel Ground floor reception hall come up 40m. deep from the building edge keeping guests away from sea view.
Our proposal acknowledges these challenges by providing architectural intervention with a site-specific installation on its entire ceiling plane. The design of this space is centered on a fabric installation inspired by rippling lighting reflection on ocean surface looking from divers’ eyes. Guests stepping out from the elevators will be allured by wavy movement above and will drift forward toward sea view. Layers of fabric sway with air-con supplies giving an illusion of breeze appearing as a familiar outdoor feel to be out of an unfamiliar indoor context.
The space is bathed with natural light during the day. At night, certain translucent fabric strips are lit up from above presenting a sophisticate & dramatic rippling-water effect and casting a warm glow throughout the interior. This articulation of hundreds of curved fabric lines, helped by a mirror wall and a long strip of wooden wall with cave-like alcoves, creates an illusion of endlessly long but cozy indoor bar space.
Click above for larger image
More than half of the outdoor bar area is turned into a large reflecting pond with floating droplet-inspired daybeds connected by a narrow walkway. Hundred images of lighting fixtures are mostly reflections of the fixtures on water surface as well as on a glass balustrade creating glittering impression throughout outdoor bar at night.
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