European hospitality design company, JOI-Design, won a competition to design the interiors of the Hilton and Hilton Garden Inn located within The Squaire; the iconic building at Frankfurt International Airport that will open in the spring of 2011.
The JOI-Design team’s winning proposal to design the interiors of the Hilton and Hilton Garden Inn, was to use the concept of “mobility” as a central theme, while in equal measure, creating a relaxing escape for travellers.
Featuring a structural envelope, which is three-dimensionally curved like a Zeppelin that has descended from the sky, this air-rail centre will be an absolute landmark. The enormous envelope is the size of two skyscrapers – twice as long as the height of the Empire State Building in New York – and forms a bridge above the railway station that is flanked on each side by major highways. The Squaire’s name, derived from the concepts of “square” (a town centre) and “air” (planes), reflects the structure’s reputation as one of the most “mobile” pieces of real estate since it links the airport, railway and autobahn. 
With such a futuristic architectural form and high-traffic location, JOI-Design’s brief was to create two ‘state-of-the-art’ hotels and, in essence, synthesise their brand standards since they share the fitness and spa areas, as well as back-of-house facilities. The company’s response was to develop a concept that uses the vocabulary of the high-tech surroundings yet also provides cosy oases.
The key challenges of the project have stemmed from the sheer vastness and shape of the colossal 140,000m2 envelope. A significant puzzle that was successfully solved was the need for comfortable and intimate spaces within the soaring heights of the public areas. To mitigate against the enormous size of the shell, JOI-Design created a small “structure” within the Hilton hotel’s grand entry: projections in the shape of small ‘golden wings’ which extend into the central reservation, dining, and retail areas. The wings combine the concept of a “high-tech” aeroplane with the ‘no-tech’ comfort of nature, bringing a sense of human scale into the design, while making the space feel inviting, light and luxurious. With so much space, the Hilton also benefits from approximately 1400m2 of pre-function space, including ‘break-out’ areas directly linked with the conference rooms.
There are almost 600 guestrooms between the two hotels, but with a façade that is curved in all directions and a footprint that is different on each level, there are nearly 200 room types. So any changes made to the structural shape meant the designers had to update their plans and specifications.
In a building with so many hard surfaces, it was especially important for the guestrooms to provide travellers with an intimate, tactile experience that would encourage their relaxation. For this reason, elements such as leather-clad wardrobes and stylised wingback chairs, whose curves gently envelop a guest, have been incorporated into the design. The overall result of the project is that JOI-Design has balanced human comfort with high-tech efficiency and, in the process, created a landmark design for a landmark building.
The Squaire
Brand: Hilton
Designer: JOI-Design Full Hotel Spec listing: JOI-Design