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Backlit Glass Wall at the Raffles Hotel, Istanbul

 

I’m pleased to announce the unveiling of a backlit glass wall installation that I created for the brand new Raffles Hotel in Istanbul.

I actually completed this work awhile back, but the hotel only recently celebrated its grand opening. Situated in the heart of the new Zorlu Center, “a next generation bazaar where fashion, fine food, performance, and art converge,” Raffles Istanbul is the eleventh property worldwide from the Singapore-based company that specializes in timeless luxury accommodations, tailored for each city it calls home. The overall design concept for the Istanbul edition, “The Dream of Istanbul,” is both forward-focused and reverent of history. General Manager Tarek Mourad describes the space as “the perfect expression of the ‘new’ Istanbul: avant-garde, cosmopolitan and full of energy and innovation, but utterly in touch with the city in which it stands and its rich heritage.”

 

 

All Raffles Hotels have an admirably strong commitment to including original artwork in their interiors, and this one is no different. My piece was commissioned to provide ambiance for the Writers Bar, one of several elegant spots within the hotel for grabbing an afternoon cocktail or nightcap. (The original Raffles Singapore has a Writers Bar that was created “to serve as a tribute to the writers who have stayed at the hotel or have written about it” – and henceforth most Raffles locations have a Writers Bar.) The design team, comprised of collaborators from Canvas Art Consultants and HBA Atlanta, envisioned a backlit glass wall rich in amber and gold, referencing the gold and jewels of the Byzantine era, but with a timeless, dreamlike, contemporary sensibility. In response, I created a feature wall from kiln-formed sawtooth glass that complements the bar’s warm yet sophisticated environment.

To check out more of my installations for hotel and hospitality environments, click here.