YOO2 Rio de Janeiro

Posted in Projects on 14 December, 2017

YOO2 Hotels are designed by the YOO studio combining the local soul of the destination with the international flair of the YOO studio design. Having opened in August 2016, it is the first ever YOO2 hotel to open.

Yoo2 Rio de Janeiro is located in the vibrant Botafogo neighbourhood, which offers easy access to the city centre and Copacabana.

Designed by the YOO Design Studio in London, collaborating with local artists and artisans, the hotel incorporates an international flavor, with accents of Brazilian design through murals, tiling, parquet wall panelling and furniture.

Marcelo Ment, a Rio de Janeiro-based street artist, has created a spectacular graffiti mural within the elevator shaft, which can be viewed from the glass-backed lifts on your journey through the hotel.

Chef Marcelo Schambeck, renowned for work at Bistro Del Barbiere in Porto Alegre brings a mix of local, international healthy and inventive dining throughout the hotel: Cariocally Restaurant & Bar focuses on the best in contemporary regional dining, while The Rooftop, with its spectacular views offers hand crafted cocktails and a Seafood Bar.

Additionally to the above, yoo2 Rio de Janeiro also offers street art tours and their yoo2 Experience. Art, fashion and design are all part of the Yoo2 experience.

This tour takes guests out to enjoy these aspects of the city – the host accompanies guests in a limousine, to visit key galleries and workshops, accompanied by a sociable glass or two of wine.

As with all yoo2 projects, the location and local culture were the starting point for the hotel’s visual language. The design team immersed themselves in Rio’s vibrant culture, especially the nostalgic notion of its heyday in the 50’s when it had the iconic status as the biggest beach resort in the world, and the music and films of the time. These influences were woven into every detail of the design, from the choice of materials to the colour palette and especially the bold graphic elements used throughout. The YOO studio wanted to create a destination for visitors as much as for the locals in the up-and-coming hub of Botafogo, with an eclectic and relaxed yet sophisticated atmosphere. In order to truly capture the spirit of Brazil the yoo studio collaborated with local artisans and designers and combined it with the international flavour of the yoo studio to create something truly unique.

One of the highlights of the hotel is actually the elevator: yoo studio worked with Marcelo Ment, a street artist from Rio de Janeiro, who created a spectacular graffiti mural within the elevator shaft from the ground floor to the rooftop, which can be viewed from the glass backed lift on your journey up and down the building. Another example are the custom designed encaustic tiles with strong geometric patterns which are handmade in Brazil by a company that has done this for over a century. There are lots of little details like this that link back to the initial inspiration and capture the nostalgic spirit of Rio.