A 110-year-old Amsterdam conservatory has gotten a new lease on life as a lifestyle hotel.
The 128-room, 5-star The Conservatorium Hotel soft opened earlier this month and will officially open on November 11. The hotel features interior design by the By Lissoni design firm and was built in conjunction with the real estate development company Alrov Group, Tel Aviv, Israel. The hotel is located in Amsterdam’s Oud Zuid neighborhood, which includes the Rijksmuseum, the Stedelijk, and the Van Gogh Museum.
“My methodology for this project was to weave ‘old’ with ‘new’, and make the result feel timeless,” said Piero Lissoni, architect and founding partner of By Lissoni. “Like the building’s original architect Daniel Knuttel, I too believe in uncomplicated design, where form follows function. I aimed not to create, but to reveal the inherent beauty of this space.”
Lissoni has chosen demure fabrics and shades of grey that are occasionally dotted by the appearance of bright accents. His designs are a hybrid of modernist and contemporary chic and contrast playfully with the on-going bath of natural daylight throughout the building’s airy spaces.
The hotel addresses fitness through Akasha, its 10,763 sq ft (1,000 sq m) gym and spa facility. Akasha is split into different areas in alignment with the four elements to ensure comprehensive restoration and rejuvenation. ‘Earth’ is a lounge providing freshly prepared organic sandwiches and juices; ‘Water’ is the main spa, featuring sound, music and aroma therapies, exclusive Watsu pool hydro-treatments, special hammam treatments and signature therapies using the finest local and international products; ‘Fire’ is the gym, fitted with the most up to date equipment including Kinesis, aerobics and personal training sessions; ‘Air’ is a calming, peaceful space for Pilates, yoga, tai-chi, meditation and other group or one-on-one classes, with bespoke music that changes according to the time of day. A lap pool is included.