THE ABCS OF HOTEL DESIGN
Cedric Jaccard waxes lyrical on the fundamentals of hotel design while musing on family trips to furniture showrooms
Girard-Perregaux x Aston Martin
To the uninitiated,this collaboration may seem nothing more than a mere project.But the two manufactures share a moment in history that makes for an intriguing backstory.Titanium ore was first discovered in 1791 (where ironically,the material has been branded a 21st century innovation) by English clergyman,William Gregor.Its location was found in Great Britain,which is where Aston Martin is based,and that year of discovery was also when Girard-Perregaux was founded. Thereafter in the 1800s,the Swiss brand patented its now-iconic three-bridged tourbillon,a choice feature that stands out in this limited edition timepiece. TheTourbillon withThree Flying Bridges-Aston Martin Edition, is crafted in Grade 5 titanium with a black DLC coating.The round 44m case is kept minimal save for the three bridges that create an almost-floating illusion when viewed from its profile.This is made possible by reducing the movement to a size and without the support of base plates.It goes without saying that the movement is in-house,a self-winding GP09400-1683 caliber. With only 18 pieces made,the watch is extremely technical as it is innovative,where lightweight components such as the tourbillon cage that weighs only 0.25 grams,aids in mitigating energy consumption. Time is read via striking white hands that gesture towards marked indices on the bezel.These,as well as the‘Aston Martin’name that’s inscribed on the micro-rotor,are applied with white SuperLumiNova® for that sophisticated level of legibility. “The greatest of the challenges we faced with the design of this new timepiece were those of scale,”says Marek Reichman,Aston Martin Executive Vice President and Chief Creative Officer in a statement. “We had to consider lines and proportion on a far smaller scale than we are used to in the realm of automotive design.That said,good design is good design,whether it is a watch or a car,the principles remain the same.”
Chopard Mille Miglia
There’s no Chopard without the Mille Miglia,and likewise there’s no Mille Miglia without Chopard.The classic open-road race has been synonymous with the manufacture since it became the race’s principal sponsor since 1988.It is also no secret that the brand’s affinity stems from Co-President Karl-Friedrich Scheufele who has a personal passion for classic cars,and has been in the races himself.Nevertheless, the Mille Miglia is undoubtedly a scenic one, with 1,000 miles covering the most beautiful roads of Italy,stretching from the charming Ferrara to the high roads of San Marino. Among which includes the Raticosa Pass, one that is deemed the“finest driving roads in the entire Italian peninsula”,and is just one out of two sections that is still driven as it was since 1955. In celebration of this area’s preserved beauty, Chopard presents the Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph Raticosa,a 500-limited edition series with two dial variations.For a more vintage appeal,the varnished off-white dial displays large Arabic numerals and baton hands in beige Super-LumiNova® that lend a depth of contrast,while an inverted color palette takes place on the galvanized black dial. The 42 mm polished steel case houses a CO SCcertified chronometer movement, with its look complete in vintage brown calfskin leather perforated strap with a black rubber inlay.
When interior designer Cedric Jaccard and his designer wife Connie visit furniture showrooms, they often bring their two children along. “There are plenty of ideas that come to creatives by just walking through a furniture showroom such as Space Furniture. It’s not just about buying; it’s about curiosity: What is the latest innovation? Why does an object have these proportions?”
The partner and creative director of hospitality design studio Avalon Collective is humorous about this aspect of family and work life, but he is serious about the part on passion. He believes that this, as well as exposure, are more important traits than being skilled at drawing. It is especially pertinent in today’s visually and socially driven world.
“I think the people who have these will lead the design industry because they can relate to something real – how a chair feels, for instance — and not just see pretty pictures on Pinterest. It’s the essence of what we do, creating our own library of experiences and translating it into our designs. It’s important to be passionate about how things work, and you need to have passion because it’s a tough business. It takes long hours and your mind keeps going,” says the amiable designer through an online interview.
While he bemoans the return-to-work arrangements due to the semilockdown in June this year, asserting that physical communication is vital for the design process, Jaccard is grateful that the pandemic has not affected business negatively. In fact, the pace has increased due to close relations with hotel operators, such as Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts that took the stagnated travel situation to renovate properties. “And then, there is also the China market that moves along regardless of the virus or not,” comments Jaccard.
The firm of 35 staff is only six years old, but has an impressive, growing portfolio spanning Africa, Europe, and Asia. Its bevy of sophisticated hotels include the Kempinski Hotel in Hangzhou, St. Regis Hotel Singapore’s glamorous event space Caroline’s Mansion, the hyper-exclusive Four Seasons Maldives Private Island at Voavah,
as well as the renovation of the Four Seasons Landaa Giravaaru Maldives’ Water Villas. The design team doubled the outdoor spaces, as well as made the interiors more open and contemporary. Jaccard also convinced the client to invest in good-quality, well-designed furniture. The villas feature pieces from Italian manufacturer B&B Italia, among other trusted brands.
According to Jaccard, spending millions on the development then skimping on furnishing is a wrong way of thinking. “It’s about how to associate your brand with another reputable brand. In using these products, your customer will know that you treat them well. Your guests are not going to sleep on or touch the walls of your bathroom, but they will know if your furniture feels uncomfortable. So it’s really about understanding the product, your customer and the power of your brand,” he explains.
The Swiss-born designer is well aware of this, having grown up in a culture where exceptional, human-centric architecture and design was a matter of fact. After high school, he took an apprenticeship in an architecture firm in Switzerland before studying industrial design in Paris. In 2000, a friend working in Singapore called him over. The adventurous, inquisitive Jaccard came as a tourist, and then spent a year exploring neighboring countries before returning to the city-state to find work. “I remember walking along Cantonment Road where I saw the logo of Kerry Hill Architects. I pushed the door open and went in to submit my CV. Then, I had absolutely no clue who was Kerry Hill, but I got hired,” muses Jaccard on starting out at the firm known for its sensitive, tropical-modern designs, such as The Chedi in Chiang Mai. Jaccard later left to join the nowdefunct Wilson Associates.
These stints exposed him to the complexities and intricacies of hospitality design. The industry veteran sees past trends, advocating instead timeless spaces with a strong sense of place and that considers all aspects of the guest experience. The millennium-direct hotels with bicycles at the door, faux brick walls and pool tables in the lobbies are an example of short-lived, fancy concepts. Instead, he cites Ian Schrager’s Edition hotel brand (conceived in collaboration with Marriott International) as one that works because it focuses on the basics.
“Schrager managed to capture a style that goes against what people are trying to do now. The space planning is actually very conservative, but in terms of identity, I think it’s a very strong brand. It works perfectly because it creates a certain comfort level. For example, the lighting level is important otherwise the hotels will look dull and unwelcoming,” says Jaccard. “You now see so many hotels trying to capture every segment of the market that it becomes gimmicky. But it’s cosmetic; the fundamentals of a good hotel are still the same.”