Demo is born, the hotel-design laboratory

Demo was born in Rimini. And it is not just a hotel but a real creative hub to which 14 architectural firms have collaborated. A new address destined to become a cult for design enthusiasts, for those who are not looking for “just” a hotel room but to live an experience that goes beyond the usual boundaries of hospitality

It is called Demo and was born from the recovery of a disused local pension. And it is the realization of an idea by Mauro Santinato, president of Teamwork Hospitality. He will open in Rimini this summer.

Demo: “It is an experimentation hub for both the architects involved and the partner companies, a creative laboratory where the new in hospitality is concentrated. It is a strong message not only for the city but for the entire hotel sector. There is a need for renewal “, says Santinato.

The concept was developed in 2 consecutive years in 2018 and 2019. It involved the construction of hotel rooms each designed by a different architect who gave voice to his personal idea of hospitality. The rooms could be visited during the 3 days of a trade fair.

But if designers and companies agree to get involved for a 3-day fair, why not re-propose the concept in a permanent showroom set in a hotel that really works? This is what Santinato thought when he proposed his vision to the fourteen architects involved in the project. “The designers, all specialized in the hotel industry, enthusiastically joined the initiative because it was an opportunity for them to express themselves freely and represent their idea of hospitality”,

A journey into the amazement of Demo

Demo consists of 9 suites, a lobby, a co-working area, a laundry and services on the ground floor. Each space has its own identity anticipated by the title of the project.

The exteriors and common areas identified by the incipit of a well-known Italian song, “I’m looking for summer all year round”, are designed by the CaberlonCaroppi studio which has devised a concept based on color, with each floor featuring a different tone. The inspiration is industrial “with a reference to new creative hubs and dynamic business and co-working environments but reinterpreted with a very strong Pop and Déco note“.

Chiara Tabellini, founder of Ligh8Space, took care of the lighting aspects of the exteriors, as well as coordinating the choices of the lighting equipment.

On the ground floor, the business card of any public space: the restroom. From the poetic name Drama, it is designed by Laura Verdi who wanted to dedicate the setting to the heroines of Italian opera – a tribute to Verdi and Puccini – each evoked by a different motif on the walls covered in wallpaper. And, as in the theater, you go on stage with a specially designed playlist that repeats in loop the most famous arias of the selected works while you are mirrored in a magic mirror that reflects emotional and evocative images.

Also on the ground floor, adjacent to the common bathrooms, opens the reality designed by Ovre.design, Spin the wheel: guest laundry and changing rooms. A riot of black and white ceramic, both on floors and walls, with graphic motifs inspired by an iconic element of Italian design.

The surprising suites
The 9 Demo suites are surprising and unique. With one or two bathrooms, they have a living area, equipped in some cases with highly functional kitchenette, and an important sleeping area, even with two bedrooms.

On the first floor we find Circle Room, designed by Silvia Ticchi and SMOOVE !! by FDA Fiorini D’Amico Architetti. Circle Room is a fluid space with no physical barriers, with curtains instead of doors and sliding doors. The interior is designed on the shape of the circle, vaguely retro, the style is casual and welcoming. SMOOVE !! it is an invitation to escape. It is organized on an element that crosses the space, a wall that alternates the normal equipment of a modern and comfortable hotel room with complete equipment for sport and psychophysical well-being.

On the second floor there are the suites designed by Alessia Galimberti, Hub 48 and Fragment Hospitality. With the concept Una vita da (A) mare, Galimberti studio creates a suite linked to the genius loci characterized by Mediterranean colors, teal and sand. Color Episodes by Hub48 praises color, with fluid surfaces and volumes that are defined by different shades, in which the furnishings fit for their shape and function. Fragment Hospitality, on the other hand, creates an immersive experience played on the fluid element of water. It is a fully accessible suite and is designed with the advice of Roberto Vitali of Village for all.

The concept is called In a Light Wave and, in addition to having a bathroom with double sinks at different heights to ensure flexibility of use for an extended user – even the smallest ones -, it has a wellness area that promises guests a expanded experience.

On the third floor we are welcomed by Just Like Home by Contract Lab, Tropicana Club by Rizoma Architectures and Into the cloud by Barbara Vannucchi. Contract Lab with Just like home wanted to create a multifunctional space that would respond to the needs of relaxation but also of adaptability. Living and kitchen area can become workstations, visually separated by a suspended bookcase, as well as bedrooms, material and multifaceted.

Tropicana Club by Rizoma Architectures tells a story made of fun and color. An explosion of shapes that wink at pop atmospheres played on industrial materials and bright shades. The living area has a kitchenette designed as a real bar area, the bed is a reference to a canopy and mixes graphic elements with metal materials. Into the cloud, designed by Studio Vannucchi, is an invitation to lightness and to take care of oneself expressed in a repeatable format.

The penthouse, on the fourth and top floor, is the Sea Suite, designed by Studio Bizzarro with the colors of the sea. Not a simple suite but a gratifying experience that reconciles with oneself in an environment made of light, tactile experiences, reassuring scents and colors. A large terrace that connects the inside and the outside, a living room with a retractable kitchenette, a double room with an adjoining multisensory shower area.

Info
www.demohotel.space