Featured Project
Glowing Grid

Everyone knows that the first impression is all important. And the same goes for the reception area of a hotel which serves as a visual calling card for the outside world. A prime example of this is the NH Collection Copenhagen that was designed by the Danish practice Arkitema Architects: For this hotel lobby the planners opted for Banker Wire’s Architectural Mesh Wire pattern "S-50", a weave of flat wire that now adorns the ceiling as a luminous eyecatcher. Panels of brass wire mesh are suspended above the escalators creating a prestigious entrée anticipating the character of the interior design of the NH Collection Copenhagen.

The lobby makeover was part of an extensive makeover of the building located right on the waterfront and which was originally built in the 1950s as shipyard headquarters. When converting it into a new five-star hotel Arkitema Architects remained true to the building’s historic setting, integrating design elements into the NH Collection Copenhagen that are inspired by shipping and creating an inviting atmosphere by using warm colors. The maritime theme is continued in the brass panels above the lobby that prompt guests to look upwards on entering the hotel. As every ceiling panel has a slightly different thickness this creates an uneven surface – like a choppy sea. Below them a chandelier is suspended from the ceiling forming an abstract, glowing grid. Its light emphasizes the sculptural appearance of the ceiling tiles above and makes the shiny brass mesh of "S-50" glow.

Every ceiling tile consists of five individual pieces that together form a distinctive box shape. To produce clean lines and sharp angles about an inch and a half was removed from the edge and each piece of wire mesh was bent at an angle of 135 degrees. Then employees at Pahlfer, Banker Wire’s Swedish representative, attached several bolts to the bent wire mesh and these were then fixed to a concealed frame. While the woven pattern with its open area of 44.4 percent makes the individual panels appear to be a continuous surface, the strong reflection of the individual brass wires simultaneously has the area dissolve into its individual parts. The result is an attractive interplay that turns the hotel lobby’s ceiling into a vibrant element of the interior decoration and makes it a highly befitting bespoke calling card for NH Collection Copenhagen.