When Philippe Starck designs hotels, he sees himself as a director working on a film shaped by poetry, humour and surrealism. That is how the French designer himself describes his approach. It is an apt description of the SLS Hotel Beverly Hills, which he designed as a play of diverse references and unexpected details. As in a film, Starck composes the hotel room by room, creating a sequence of distinct scenes.
The extensive work of French architect and designer Philippe Starck includes iconic everyday objects, influential furniture designs, and yachts, as well as numerous hotels. With his hotel projects, Starck has helped shape the industry’s development over decades. This includes the SLS Hotel Beverly Hills, which opened in 2008. Ten years later, the 234 rooms and 63 suites were extensively renovated by Dakota Development, Muzeo, and Avenue Interior Design, while retaining essential elements of Starck’s original design.
When he designs hotels, he feels like a film director, a quote published on his website makes clear. »The hotels I create are like a movie of which I am the director. I imagine the coming and going of people, what they are going to experience, and what they will feel. I create stories borrowed from love, humor, poetry, tenderness, surrealism, and art.«
The vibrancy inherent in this statement is also reflected in the hotel’s design. Starck combines Mid-century references with surreal, sometimes whimsical details. Different materials, reflections, and unexpected objects create a high visual density. Despite this abundance, the rooms do not appear cluttered. In short: Starck’s design approach keeps the eye engaged, but does not overwhelm it.
Between the visual stagings, there are always quieter areas with seating groups and lounge furniture. Many of the elements characteristic of Starck’s original design have been preserved to this day. Custom-made furniture, sculptural lighting, large mirrors, playful motifs, and surprising artistic accents characterize the hotel’s atmosphere.
The hotel also includes the restaurant »The Nook«, which specializes in dishes with a Californian connection. On the spacious rooftop terrace, there is another restaurant, a bar, and a pool. More interesting is the lobby’s division: one area is reserved exclusively for hotel guests, while the second opens the hotel to the restaurant and local nightlife.
The opening of part of the hotel to a broader public can also be seen in connection with Starck’s understanding of design. For him, design should be accessible to as many people as possible. »When I first entered the world of design, I quickly realized how exclusive it was. Beautiful objects were often expensive, reserved for a privileged few, and difficult to access. This elitism deeply disturbed me, as I have always believed in sharing, be it knowledge, resources, or ideas,« the architect and designer, born in 1949 as the son of an aerospace engineer, stated in an interview with the art magazine Monopol .
This conviction led him to develop what is known as »Democratic Design«, meaning »to offer high-quality products at affordable prices so that they are accessible to as many people as possible. Later, I extended this principle to architecture – with the vision of inclusive spaces, open to all, rooted in their local context: be it a city, a district, or a community.«
Anyone looking at his complete works will notice the following: There is hardly anything Philippe Starck has not designed – yachts, hotels, ports, Eurostar lounges, mobile phones, watches, chairs, restaurants. He has also developed a beer and a perfume brand. His hotels give their guests the feeling of being able to step into the designer’s mind for a short time, to become part of his film – which is not always completely rooted in reality. [SW]