JOI-Design renews the lustre of Steigenberger Hamburg Hotel

Posted in Projects on 5 March, 2024

With a signature culinary destination just named Europe‘s Best Restaurant Design in the Society of British and International Design’s 2023 awards, the Steigenberger Hotel Hamburg shimmers with a renewed lustre thanks to the delicate touch of interior architecture studio, JOI-Design.

Located on the shore of Fleetinsel, the hotel is a tranquil retreat in the heart of the bustling city as well as a gastronomic attraction.

Following the success of JOI-Design’s award-winning 2009 concept for the Steigenberger Hotel Hamburg’s acclaimed fine dining restaurant, Deutsche Hospitality called upon the studio again, over a decade later, to redesign their original project. The client’s brief was to reimagine the earlier interiors, providing continuity by maintaining aesthetic references to the much-loved city hotspot whilst simultaneously infusing a fresh energy to bring it into modern times. This time though, the scope expanded, with co-managing director Peter Joehnk and architect Stefan Segebarth leading JOI-Design’s team in the additional renovation of the reception and lobby areas; the meeting and circulation spaces; the public bathrooms; and a forthcoming second restaurant.

Due to its prominent situation on Fleetinsel island between the harbour and the Alster canal, the Steigenberger Hotel Hamburg has been a cultural asset since opening in the 1990s. Offering a luxurious ‘safe harbour’ in the bustling city, the waterside traditional brick building has a uniquely Hamburg flair that JOI-Design wished to emphasise when reinventing their original concept for the now rebranded venue: the Hanseatic city’s nickname, the pearl, sparked the creative team‘s imagination.

At the entrance, a wave-shaped light installation beckons passersby to come inside and discover the lobby with its luminous, pearlized palette. A backlit ‘oculus’ recessed into the ceiling—a subtle allusion to a glowing pearl—illuminates three monolithic marble reception stations placed across from plush platinum and slate-hued seating with splashes of sapphire and ruby upholstery alongside and open-framed side tables.

Soft wool carpet with a flowing striated pattern creates islands that, along with clever spaceplanning, help delineate lounge areas in the irregularly shaped lobby. Transparent finishes and twinkling lights play with glints of light reflecting off the water outside while also suggesting the glimmer of pearls. The verticality of the double-height pillars is complemented by backlit floor-to-ceiling wall ‘fins’ and silvery floor lamps whose clear shades relate to the lobby’s two-storey glazing and the mirrored beams extending from the mezzanine above.

The forthcoming ‘Grill’ restaurant, which will also have its own external entrance, is currently under development.

Reached by the newly smartened-up lift lobby, the mezzanine conference rooms continue the allusion to pearls thanks to their interlaced circular ceiling lights, which are also visible from the lounge below. Pre-function and overflow spaces can also be found here, as well as on the 8th floor and the basement alongside additional conference rooms.

Alternatively, the lounge stairs lead down to the fleet level to the celebrated fine dining venue that started it all – the now renamed ‘Restaurant am Fleet’ that welcomes hotel guests as well locals. Previously called ‘Restaurant Calla’, the original design was inspired by the graceful calla lily flower, which was interpreted through textured stucco ripples inset within the walls. However, changing the kernel of the new design premise to ‘the pearl’ strengthens the restaurant’s sense of place while providing a fitting segue that links the initial creative concept with the new one.

White finishes with a subtle shimmering lustre allude to the pearl, while fluid organic shapes now take on a different dimension by recalling the nacre age rings of the gem and its shell, as well as the waves of the passing fleet. The restaurant’s original stucco wall feature is honoured with sinuous strands of light newly embedded in the walls and ceiling. A room divider made from flowing metal ‘ribbons’ includes curves that create vantage points looking beyond the screen. Muted tone-on-tone colours create a tranquil ambience that encourages both hotel guests and locals to relax and recharge their batteries for their next adventures in the Hanseatic city of Hamburg.

Updating the restaurant gave the designers a chance to install lighting that is more energy efficient than what was available the first time around. Chair and banquette fabrics are durable and easily cleanable, even though they are white, so that they have long lifespans. A new herringbone-pattern timber floor is hard-wearing and will last for several years despite heavy footfall in the restaurant.

“Congratulations to the team behind this remarkable transformation!”, says Malte Sternberg, Manager Key Accounts, Deutche Hospitality. “The Steigenberger Hotel Hamburg has undergone a stunning renovation and now shines with a fresh new look.”

About JOI-Design

JOI-Design is a leading European interior design studio with more than 35 years of experience in hospitality design and over 500 hotel projects in Germany and abroad. Our focus is on the development of exclusive, design-focussed concepts for the international hotel industry, serviced apartments, cruise ships and next-generation workspaces for high-style commercial offices.

The multidisciplinary creatives from our studios in Germany and India comprise experienced interior designers, architects, engineers, graphic designers and product designers. These specialists work as a team to tailor one-of-a-kind spaces relevant for society today, places that respond to the ever-changing needs of daily life for different target markets.

JOI-Design.com

Extract from our recent project list:

AUTOGRAPH Tegernsee, Germany · FALKENSTEINER Resort Bolzano, Italy · HYATT PLACE – The Circle Zurich Airport, Switzerland · SHERATON & MARRIOTT Frankfurt Airport, Germany · MOXY Budapest, Hungary · Hotel VIERJAHRESZEITEN Iserlohn, Germany · A-ROSA Cruise Ship · FLEMING’S SELECTION Hamburg, Germany · HILTON Munich Airport, Germany · CONGRESS CENTER Hamburg, Germany · OLYMPUS European Headquarters Hamburg, Germany · LUFTHANSA Conference Hotel Seeheim, Germany · ATLANTIS Timmendorf, Germany · VIVANTA Bangalore, India · TAJ HOTEL Holiday Village Goa, India · COURTYARD by MARRIOTT Baku, Azerbaijan · Development of two new brands for MPC MICRO LIVING, Germany.

Extract from our completed project list:

FRASER SUITES Hamburg, Germany · DER ÖSCHBERGHOF Donaueschingen, Germany · LE MÉRIDIEN Hamburg & Munich, Germany · MARRIOTT Munich, Germany· Reichshof CURIO BY HILTON Hamburg, Germany · THE RITZ CARLTON Wolfsburg, Germany · JW MARRIOTT Cannes, France · MERCEDES-BENZ Suites London, UK · MERCEDES-BENZ Suites Singapore · MS EUROPA 2 Cruise Ship Suites · STEIGENBERGER Grandhotel Davos, Switzerland· PULLMAN Paris Bercy, France · HILTON Frankfurt Airport, Germany · HYATT PLACE Frankfurt, Germany · MOXY & RESIDENCE INN Frankfurt & Munich, Germany · AC BY MARRIOTT Innsbruck, Austria · HAPIMAG Resort Venice, Italy · LINDNER Resort Mallorca, Spain · LE CLERVAUX Boutique Hotel Clerf, Luxembourg · GINGER Goa, India · STAY KOOOOK & MOXY Bern, Switzerland · MOXY Hamburg, Germany · CAPRI BY FRASER Leipzig, Germany.