The big 'Blu'

Assymetri restaurant.
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A multi-layered, multi-dimensional lighting sculpture hovers over the lobby of the Radisson Blu Hotel Abu Dhabi Yas Island.

Composed of linear, copper-coloured components suspended at varying heights, it is a contemporary take on the traditional chandelier, explained Anne Kuzyk, head of interiors at Aukett Fitzroy Robinson, the company responsible for both the architecture and interior design of the Radisson Blu and its sister Park Inn property next door.

The fixture was custom-made by Preciosa and, in the evening, takes on a life of its own, exuding an ever-changing spectrum of coloured light; shifting gently from purple to blue to pink and then yellow. “It is the heart of the hotel. It’s an amazing talking piece and it really comes alive at night with the colour-changing lights. I was inspired by Alexander Calder, the sculptor, from a very early age, and I felt this was the place to put this kind of installation.
It’s almost like bringing the New Tate to Yas Island,” said Kuzyk.

Guests lounging in the lobby, or making their way to and from the lifts, move beneath the structure, and are privy to one aspect of its multi-faceted form. Meanwhile, up on the mezzanine level, guests move alongside it, and are treated to a whole new perspective, reiterating the impression of it being more of an art installation than a light fixture.

The placement of the structure also serves to break up the horizontality of the lobby area. “The lobby is divided into three different areas,” Kuzyk noted. “There is your check-in zone, which is quite horizontal, there is your transition zone where people walk to the lifts, and then you’ve got your lounge and seating zone, so, because people would be using the space that way, I turned the sculpture around to get rid of the horizontality from the design.”

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Outside in

A smaller version of this ‘contemporary chandelier’ hangs above the check-in counter, making a striking first impression as guests enter the hotel, and offering a tantalising glimpse of what’s to come. Like its more sizeable counterpart, the underside of the structure is mirrored. “The idea is to reflect the views of the island back into the space,” Kuzyk pointed out.

This idea, of bringing the outside in, is a cornerstone of the overall design. Barriers between the indoors and outdoors have been systematically broken down, with an emphasis on inviting natural light and panoramic views deep into the interior. “There are a lot of terraces, and a lot of opportunities for al fresco dining. And everywhere you go, we have capitalised on the view; the outside is very beautifully captured within our property. I think that’s one of the most important selling points for our hotel,” noted Rafat Kazi, PR and marketing communications manager, Radisson Blu Hotel Abu Dhabi Yas Island.

With mangrove-covered sandbanks, the grassy expanse of the Links golf course, and the unending blue of the Arabian Gulf all to be found on the hotel’s doorstep, Kuzyk had a rich palette of natural influences to draw upon.

So, in Business Class rooms, a textured headboard made out of beige plaster mimics the motion of sand dunes. The room’s colour palette is inspired by the sunset, and by the continually-shifting colour of the sand. Abstract artwork plays with the idea of sunlight sifting through the leaves of a palm tree. “We’ve used all very natural influences, but in a very contemporary way,” Kuzyk explained.

In the spa, the ethos is overwhelming organic. “It’s all very natural – that’s the whole idea. The tiles are like the sand, it’s like the dunes running through. There are tiles made out of pebbles, and echoes of palms and waves.”

An oversized jacuzzi nuzzles into one corner of the spa, set across from a large window offering uninterrupted views of the sea and golf course. And in the treatment rooms, an intricate, abstract version of the sun adorns the ceiling above treatment tables.

Waves of colour

In the yet-to-open Persian restaurant, Zeeba, the design carries overtones of the sea. “We’ve used the colour turquoise. That was inspired not only by Persian colours but also the Arabian Sea, because when we first came here, there was nothing. And all you saw, all through the day, was the sea, which changed colour throughout the day. So, throughout the hotel we’ve tried to capture the various colours of the sea.”

This is reiterated in the hotel’s main corridors, where carpets are imprinted with wave-shaped patterns. “Again, we are bringing the sea in. The executive floors have a red wave, and the standard floors have blue,” Kuzyk continued.

This also serves to ‘shorten’ and liven up the corridors, she explained. “That’s always one challenge with hotels. They have these long long corridors, so if you can do something interesting on the floor, it detracts from that. And when you arrive for the first time, it is so much more special getting to your room.”

Long characterless corridors are also a standard feature in many meeting areas, Kuzyk pointed out – something that she tried to counteract in the Radisson Blu Hotel Abu Dhabi Yas Island. “Business centres and meeting rooms usually have very long corridor spaces.