Hard Rock Hotel

Rock Star Interiors for the Hard Rock Hotel Suites, Rooms & Public Areas.

Sector:                 Hotels / Resorts
Country:               Macau
Client:                   Melco Crown Development Ltd
Services:              Architecture Interior Design
Year:                    2008

The City of Dreams is a massive and exciting addition to the Cotai Strip, Macau (the Las Vegas of Asia). MAP was appointed by the client to resolve all public design areas in order to maintain the construction program. This included working on the podium shell and core, Retail Street and the Hard Rock Hotel public areas and suites.

The sheer scale of the project brought challenges in the areas of communications between client, various contractors and the design management teams. Time was also of essence – when MAP joined the project contracts were being awarded. The brief also changed along the way and MAP was invited to redesign the retail areas and take on the interior design of the Hard Rock Hotel. MAP boosted its team, adding 15 designers in order to quickly produce high-quality solutions in tight time frames, under extreme pressure.

Macau’s Hard Rock Hotel is circular, so rectilinear space planning was not an option. But, constraints also provide opportunities for example; the main entrance lobby has a small floor area but extensive vertical volume.

Entry to the hotel is through a fritted, back lit, glass portal into the main reception area and lobby making the arrival experience dramatic and casual at the same time.

The double height lobby and bar/lounge required a dramatic backdrop feature wall that interacts and spatially engages with the bridge link above. The selected concept is an abstract of a human torso make up of a series of tri-metallic slices, surrounding the bar and injecting material warmth and some ‘Hard Rock’ insouciance into the space. At the rear of the lobby, there is a connection to the complex’s Main Boulevard and a pair of escalators that connect to the levels above.

To animate the escalator journey, MAP came up with the idea of a wall of drumsticks set on end in a geometric pattern. One thousand pairs of drumsticks were ordered – to the delight of our Chinese manufacturer.

The suites in the Hard Rock Hotel had to stand out from the other suites in the City of Dreams, giving an experience unlike any other. Each Rock Star suite is made up of a serious of sinuously interconnecting spaces that enhance the separate functions of the bedroom, bathroom, living room and lobby. The furniture design and placement represents a logical extension of this theme.

MAP’s vision for the suites was for them to become like a stage for the high roller guests to act out their rock star fantasies. Each suite comes with a selection of distractions including a music room (with drums, piano and guitars), golf and motor racing simulators, and the all-time favourite…a bucking bronco! The furniture has been custom designed for comfort and conversation – such as the living room ‘brontosaurus’ sofas.

“I wanted the WOW factor and MAP understood that and helped deliver it at the City of Dreams’ Rock Star Suites.” Lawrence Ho, Co-Chairman & CEO of Melco Crown Entertainment.

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