Mar
I was recently commissioned, in association with Project Pictures, to photograph the new Devlin Hotel in Dublin.
Pure Fitout are the craftsmen behind the project, and have sourced and manufactured nearly every feature of the hotel – from the 40 rooms, to the timber panelled rooftop restaurant and bar, art deco cinema, bronze-finished Americana Bar and Moroccan tiled bathrooms. The firm collaborated with renowned designers, O’Donnell O’Neill Design Associates, and Lawrence & Long Architects to complete the first new-build project for Press Up Entertainment Group.
My brief contained the usual long list of external and interior photographs but also requested that I capture the unique playful /edgy and stylish design of the space, from the “Feck Off – Don’t Disturb” signs to the art throughout. You see the Devlin Hotel is pitched as the coolest hotel in Dublin if not Ireland! It has everything great about Ireland, past present and future.
After reviewing the plans / drawings and some photos taken during construction, and discussing the key design elements I was afforded a two day shoot photographing late into the night and early on the second day. I requested a cherry picker to capture the feature roof top restaurant bar with the Dublin skyline.
The Devlin enjoys a wonderful location at the centre of Ranelagh, just south of the central city. It is in the heart of Ranelagh’s bustling main street with good connections to the city centre and airport. As such the hotel describes itself as a “community hub” and “more than a hotel” where you can stay as a resident or just enjoy the public spaces. Head in and relax in the café and bakery with space to meet friends or hot desk. Make use of the excellent concierge service to connect with a wide range of city offerings. Take in a movie at the 42-seat subterranean cinema, with its 1950s-style seating, leather trim, popcorn machine, food offerings and two daily screenings. Sample the spacious, light-filled Americana Bar on the ground floor for fresh, modern cocktails, and all-day bites. Or dine in the rooftop restaurant, “Layla’s”, with 180 degree views of Dublins skyline and a terrace for al fresco dining.
Don’t get me wrong this 40-room hotel is compact so there is no spa, fitness centre, garden or even parking. The hotel rooms have “Everything that you need and nothing that you don’t”. Standard rooms are on the modest side, but smart design – in particular cunning fenestration – removes any sense of lack of space. There's comfort and a decided sense of style. The techy mod cons (Nespresso machines, Smeg fridges, and Dyson hairdryers) also impress. A range of rooms are on offer: triples include bunk beds. Bathrooms are sleek and high quality, with rainforest showers and Moroccan tiles.
The Devlin ticks all the boxes, with excellent fittings and finishes. There are five specialist timbers featuring throughout the hotel, including the intricate Iroko panelling of the Americana Bar, pitch pine ceilings in Layla’s restaurant and walnut burl to the free standing case goods throughout the hotel’s interior.
Over 160 pieces of original paintings and prints hang on the walls, including work by Dorothy Cross, Cian McLoughlin and Eva Rothschild, as well as emerging artists like Alan Butler, Leah Hewson and Eve O’Callaghan. A bespoke Tracey Emin neon piece hangs above reception that says “I Came Here For You”.
The Devlin hotel has already been shortlisted for several awards including the RLI Interior Excellence Category 2019. My photographs have also helped it to be featured in the a whole host of publications including the Daily Telegraph, Irish Times, Independent, Hotel Owner Magazine.
O’Donnell O’Neill Design Associates
Mar
Jonathan Banks picked up one “honorable mention” title in the “Children of the World” category and three “nomination” titles in the “Architecture”, “Fine Art” and “portraiture” categories.
12th Annual Jury members included captains of the industry from Sotheby's, New York; Benetton, Ponzano Veneto; The Art Channel, London; Kolle Rebbe, Hamburg; Droga5, New York; Preus Museum, Norway; Art Beatus, Hong Kong; Forsman & Bodenfors, Gothenburg; Wieden & Kennedy, Portland; Fox Broadcasting Network, Los Angeles; Gallery Kong, Seoul; and Phillips, New York who honored Color Masters with 761 title awards and 1,032 nominees in 37 categories.
"It is an incredible achievement to be selected among the best from the 7,241 entries we received this year," said Basil O'Brien, the awards Creative Director. Jonathan Banks's photographs represent contemporary color photography at its finest.”
INTERNATIONAL COLOR AWARDS is the leading international award honoring excellence in colour photography. This celebrated event shines a spotlight on the best professional and amateur photographers worldwide and honors the finest images with the highest achievements in colour photography.
DelAgua Rwanda project
La Mer Beachfront in Dubai
Michael Anastassiades
Global technology office designed by the architects CallisonRTKL
Feb
Towards the end of last year I photographed the Nobu Hotel in Shoreditch in association with Project Pictures.
Sitting happily among Shoreditch’s re-purposed warehouses and factories, Nobu Hotel is a bold architectural statement whose marriage of complexity and urban generosity delivers a global destination in the heart of London’s most vibrant neighbourhood.
Occupying a tight urban plot, the hotel follows the street line and accents its strong linear form with horizontal steel and concrete fins at each floor level. A playful, informal grid of board-marked concrete panels and generous full height glazing expresses the range of activities contained within the hotel, dematerialising at its sloping southern end to give sculptural presence to a lush sunken pocket park.
The original architects of the scheme, Ron Arad Architects, were appointed in 2011 to design the new Nobu Hotel in Shoreditch, gaining planning permission in 2012. The original scheme featured overhanging floor slabs, and cantilevered steel beams forming a frayed edge to the east, where a landscaped garden is terraced to provide natural light to the lower restaurant space. Ron Arad Architects left the project in 2013. Ben Adams Architects were appointed by Willow Corp in December 2013 to develop the design and complete the project.
Subtle material cues demarcate the public and private layers of the hotel. Refined bronze portals signal the hotel and restaurant entrances. Overlaying its raw concrete frame, timber, echoing the hotel’s concrete cladding, creative textiles and warm fabrics create an earthy, elegant aesthetic that delivers a variety of moods in its public spaces. This materiality creates a seamless link between the double height bar/restaurant in the hotel basement and the landscaped garden that adjoins this space. Sliding bamboo screens sandwiched within the hotel’s glazed cladding give flexible degrees of privacy to the suites that overlook the sunken garden and the 150 bedrooms occupying its upper floors, while maintaining a strong sense of harmony with the building’s architectural treatment as a whole.
Feb
At the end of last year I photographed the new ICON Outlet at the O2 for CallisonRTKL. The opening of ICON Outlet completes CallisonRTKL (CRTKL) and the clients’, AEG and Crosstree’s, vision to deliver an unparalleled leisure and entertainment district for London – a place where retail and leisure converge. The development will complete the circuit within the Entertainment District to create a 360-degree visitor experience that not only supports the main arena events but has the critical mass to be a customer draw in its own right.
“The retail world is ever-evolving, the focus on the curated experience is a real shift of approach. Shopping destinations are now seeking new leisure experiences to attract, activate and energize their existing offer. What we have here is one of the most iconic leisure destinations in the world, anchored by the world’s favorite arena. We believe that the addition of the ICON Outlet is the final critical piece that will not only transform the O2 but in its own right create a new paradigm,” said Nathmya Saffarini, Senior Associate Director at CallisonRTKL and thought leader in sports anchored entertainment districts.
The success of a mixed-use project hinges on activity. The more people are walking around, using the space and engaging with it, the more it creates an inclusive atmosphere and people want to be there. Creating spaces where communities can come together, alongside major entertainment destinations would ensure that the district will never ‘go dark’ and the different zones will offer varied, engaging experiences for visitors any day of the week.
New contemporary food concepts were curated for ICON Outlet to compliment the fashion district and deliver a true lifestyle destination.
The urban outlet has been divided into key themes, which the developers state reflects consumer trends and behaviour, from ‘Best of British’ highlighting quality and heritage to ‘Global fashion’, featuring premium brands from across the globe. Other areas include ‘Beauty and accessories’ and ‘Sports and lifestle’, offering some of the most exciting names in athleisure.
To complement the retail offer, Icon Outlet will also host a range of experience-led services, including personal shoppers and stylists, hands-free shopping, and unique event shopping packages.
CRTKL’s concept focuses on the creation of two unique retail experiences – the Petals and the Clouds – to correspond with the leasing strategy and the character of the space they occupy. The ceiling treatments within these spaces are a unique feature to the site, designed to create a sense of light, space and tranquillity. Clever use of LED lighting enables the tone and look and feel of the development to shift depending on the time of day.
“The two-storey mall section referred to as the Petals creates a sensory explosion of colour and form inspired by London’s fashionable retail streets. The canopy that runs along its street is designed to replicate the dappled shade of a tree-lined thoroughfare,” said Nathmya Saffarini, Senior Associate Director at CallisonRTKL.
The single storey section referred to as the clouds is designed to be a column-free retail space, the ceilings, roofs, walls are hung from the existing trusses in the space. It is a clever solution that gives the client the flexibility to move internal partitions as needed to meet retailer requirements.
“‘The Cloud’ is designed as a calming retail escape. It creates an ambiance of light and tranquillity with its immersive forms and cool colours. The ceiling treatment consists of a series of fins that envelops the space below,” said Nathmya Saffarini, Senior Associate Director at CallisonRTKL.
Designing the ceiling treatments was one of the most exciting challenges, the design needed to be lightweight, work with the O2’s smoke fire strategy whilst creating visual interest underneath the tent liner.
A second phase comprising another 32 stores on the lower level will open in Spring 2019. Being in the middle of a global city, it has an amazing residential catchment so an outlet would work in its own right but being in an iconic building, with river frontage, tourist attractions and the huge profile of its leisure offer Icon Outlet should mature into one of the very best outlets and should set the bar for others.
