As hotel art consultants, we curate and commission art that is tailored to the project, and speaks to its unique context. Artelier presents a case study of an art consultancy project for K West Hotel & Spa, in the heart of central London. The art commissions reflected the inner-city context by focusing on contemporary and playful artworks – such as artworks inspired by London's skyline for the hotel restaurant, as well as colourful and uplifting art installations for the spa. The hotel has a total of 219 rooms, as well as several reception areas and a full services spa.
The brief for the artworks in the reception areas was to reflect the vibrancy of London, using modern artworks that were inspired by the city's thriving cultural scene and youthful energy.
The hotel was particularly interested in working with emerging artists who had a strong personal connection to the city. Artelier sourced an up-and-coming British artist whose bright artworks were in keeping with the contemporary style of the hotel. We worked with him to commission and develop a series of paintings for the main restaurant.
The series represented music in a bold and graphic way – the paintings resemble sound waves, and capture the essence of music through vivid blocks of contrasting colours. The paintings were created by overlaying individual strips of colour to build a complex composition.
Due to the paintings' urban context, the artist decided to playfully blend the concept of a 'soundscape' with a 'cityscape'. He incorporated the outlines of some of London's most iconic skyscrapers, creating an abstract representation of the London skyline.
The series continued into select bedrooms throughout the hotel. With London's skyline visible beyond the bedroom windows, the pieces reflected the urban scenery surrounding the hotel. They also added a colourful edge to the minimalist interiors, bringing the neutral colour scheme to life.
While all the pieces in the restaurant were original paintings, for the bedrooms the series was re-interpreted as prints. This is a practical choice, as prints are less at risk of significant damage and so are ideally suited for private spaces. Prints can also be re-created en masse for a relatively more economical budget.
The theme of sound waves and rhythm were also carried through to original artworks in master suites. We sourced an artist who etches into copper to create dynamic wall art. Through carefully etched lines, the artist creates a sense of movement in the metal surface.
To make the most of these artworks, Artelier also advised on curating lighting. As copper is a highly reflective material with a warm and appealing glow, specially devised lighting solutions help to enhance the subtleties of the artwork and make it a focal point in the room.
Art in other spaces in the hotel were inspired by the city's music scene, including paintings that paid homage to infamous Londoners and pop icons. With reference to London's infamous street art and the Pop Art movement, these paintings' striking compositions are formed from expansive blocks of colour.
Elsewhere, we advised on sourcing photographic prints for the hotel's dining and reception areas. The photographs continue the theme of pop culture by presenting some of the most memorable photographs of London's music venues and performers.
The artworks in the spa are likewise bold and colourful, but are instead focused on installations that create an atmospheric experience. These artworks are a distinctly modern approach to spa art, as rather than using a stripped back palette and natural materials, they do not shy away from a fun colour scheme and unusual mediums.
Using intelligently fitted integrated lighting, the installations are able to bounce colour off the reflective white surfaces of the spa and immerse visitors in uplifting pools of colour.
The contrast of the otherwise neutral spa interiors with daring contemporary art creates a pleasantly surprising atmosphere, which is in keeping with the concept of playful urban interiors carried out throughout the project.
Artelier is an established art consultant for hotels, with experience delivering hotel art solutions internationally in the UK, Europe, East Asia and across the Gulf region. To learn more about our art consultancy services, visit our Art Consultancy homepage. Further examples of finished projects can be seen on our dedicated Land page, for land-based projects.
We have also offered an insight into our art consultancy for a 5* hotel project in Ethiopia in an article, which can be viewed here.