flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Daring hotel design scheme takes the shape of cut amethyst stone

Daring hotel design scheme takes the shape of cut amethyst stone

The hotel symbolizes the regenerative properties amethyst stone is believed to have.


By BD+C Staff | January 20, 2015
Crystalline Amethyst Hotel Rendering NL Architects
Crystalline Amethyst Hotel Rendering NL Architects

The Dutch practice NL Architects designed a proposal for a chain of hotels shaped like a rock cut in half to reveal a gemstone inside, designboom reports. The first Amethyst Hotel is planned for a man-made island development called Ocean Flower in the China sea, north of Hainan.

“A large number of miraculous powers are attributed to the amethyst in all sorts of cultures,” the firm explains on its website. Positive attributes of the amethyst in several cultures include the capacity to purify spaces of negative vibrations and stengthen the immune system.

“All of these properties are most welcome in any hospitality or wellness environment,” the firm adds. “The Amethyst Hotel has the potential to become a [visual] symbol.”

According to the plan, the hotel units would be placed along one perimeter of the structure forming a horseshoe shape, leaving a courtyard in the middle. A faceted glass facade faces the courtyard, and reinforces the crystalline design theme. 

 

Related Stories

| Jul 17, 2014

A harmful trade-off many U.S. green buildings make

The Urban Green Council addresses a concern that many "green" buildings in the U.S. have: poor insulation.

| Jul 17, 2014

A high-rise with outdoor, vertical community space? It's possible! [slideshow]

Danish design firm C.F. Møller has developed a novel way to increase community space without compromising privacy or indoor space.

| Jul 15, 2014

Michael Graves talks with Washington Post about new design eye from life in a wheelchair

Celebrated American architect Michael Graves sits with the Washington Post to talk about how being on a wheelchair changed the way he focuses on design.

| Jul 15, 2014

A look into the history of modular construction

Modular construction is more than a century old, and throughout its lifespan, the methods have been readapted to meet specific needs of different eras.

| Jul 14, 2014

Meet the bamboo-tent hotel that can grow

Beijing-based design cooperative Penda designed a bamboo hotel that can easily expand vertically or horizontally.

| Jul 14, 2014

Foster + Partners unveils triple-glazed tower for RMK headquarters

The London-based firm unveiled plans for the Russian Copper Company's headquarters in Yekaterinburg.

| Jul 11, 2014

First look: Jeanne Gang reinterprets San Francisco Bay windows in new skyscraper scheme

Chicago architect Jeanne Gang has designed a 40-story residential building in San Francisco that is inspired by the city's omnipresent bay windows.

| Jul 10, 2014

Berkeley Lab opens 'world's most comprehensive building efficiency simulator'

  DOE’s new FLEXLAB is a first-of-its-kind simulator that lets users test energy-efficient building systems individually or as an integrated system, under real-world conditions.

| Jul 9, 2014

McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. adds Nicholas Sandersfeld as Director of Business Development to newly opened San Jose office

California's largest general building contractor just opened up an office in San Jose, and named Nicholas Sandersfeld as the new Director of Business Development.

| Jul 9, 2014

Top U.S. cities for design professionals

Though New York and Los Angeles are often seen as the sole hubs for design jobs, other design epicenters are scattered between the coasts.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category




halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021