DI: What is the main principle, idea and inspiration behind your design?
: Pokrovka 6 Hotel occupies an attic with oddly angled roof and walls in a historic Moscow building. The client wanted to maximise the number of guest rooms without sacrificing comfort. With that in mind we transformed this U-shaped 600 sqm attic into 30 rooms and small but cozy common areas. Our approach was to balance Russia's industrial past with the warmth of natural materials. We curated each room with a unique combination of colour, shape, vintage finds, and original artworks. We used Siberian pine plywood for custom-built furniture which is nod to the local traditional building material. Stumps of birch tree, which is important in Russia's culture, are used as bedside tables. This stripped-down aesthetic and a palette of bright hues allude to works of Russian avant-garde artists. We also used this motif through interplay of ceiling slopes and geometric wall treatments. Soviet era light fixtures, furniture, and tiles continue the theme of Russia's 20th century heritage.
DI: What has been your main focus in designing this work? Especially what did you want to achieve?
: We wanted to build a hotel as a place where local experience begins. To achieve this we added a lot of vintage objects and materials with a story behind them. Bland hotel rooms with no local flavour, built with cheap materials are no longer appealing for travellers.
DI: What are your future plans for this award winning design?
: The project turned out to be hugely successful as a business. The client has plans to build a few boutique hotels with our design team.
DI: How long did it take you to design this particular concept?
: It took 6 months from concept to an operating hotel.
DI: Who is the target customer for his design?
: Younger design conscious travellers with a limited budget.
DI: What is the most unique aspect of your design?
: It is a part of local cultural experience.
DI: What are some of the challenges you faced during the design/realization of your concept?
: We built a hotel in a connected attic of three adjacent buildings with all kinds of odd roof and wall angles. Some rooms have no windows at all. A few rooms had to be so small that it was a challenge to put all the necessary equipment there.