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Frame | Resort & Spa

application

Resorts and spas employ the structure and translucency of Frame to partition the interior from the exterior or as privacy screens between spaces.

research

The archetypical practice of Frame is largely accredited to traditional Japanese architecture, in the form of shoji screens, or ‘interceptor panels.’ These latticework wooden frames used translucent rice paper or glass and were generally used as moveable partitions between the inside and outside. When closed, the shoji acted as a screen to diffuse light and provide privacy—the upper frame, or transom, was left open to permit ventilation. When open, people were inclined to enjoy uninterrupted garden views and breezes. Thus, the translucency and lightweight construction of shoji screens was most often employed in Transactional Spaces of the first or second floors, as explained by Gunter Nitschke, because traditional Japanese buildings had rarely more than two floors.1 Furthermore, the lack of extraneous ornamentation and inherent adjustability of Frame allowed for visual reconfigurations of the room. The cavities of the screen are essentially a module for the space, and are proportional to each other, as well as to the entire shoji application. In this way, the interior maintained constant harmony, regardless of the position of the sliding screen. Contemporary resort and spa interiors apply Frame copiously, in a nearly identical manner to its use in traditional Japanese architecture. Although Frame is often interpreted as a shoji, and placed in Asian-inspired spaces, most interiors that employ Frame manipulate the traditional materials, wood and translucent paper or glass, to align with an abstract, "Zen-like" design concept. While renowned contemporary establishments generally use Frame in an honest fashion, based on location or overall design aesthetic, mid-20th century resorts often seized the traditional shoji and haphazardly employed it, such as the Lauderdale Ruttger Hotel (1958) in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. More successful applications of Frame in recent decades utilize the interplay of light and dark elements in separating minimalist interiors and abundant exteriors. In these spaces, such as in Hotel Deseo (2001) in Quintana Roo, Mexico and the Grand Hyatt Tokyo (2003), the shoji module highlights the solid construction of the frame and the diffusing glass of the panes informs the rest of the space, creating harmonious zones that directly correlate to the origins of Frame.

Contemporary resort and spa interiors apply Frame copiously, in a nearly identical manner to its use in traditional Japanese architecture.

Although Frame is often interpreted as a shoji, and placed in Asian-inspired spaces, most interiors that employ Frame manipulate the traditional materials, wood and translucent paper or glass, to align with an abstract, “Zen-like” design concept.

Mid-20th century resorts, such Lauderdale Ruttger Hotel (1958) in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and The Ilikai (1964) in Honolulu, borrowed the traditional shoji, but used contemporary furnishings for the rest of the room.2

More successful applications of Frame in recent decades utilize the interplay of light and dark elements in separating minimalist interiors and abundant exteriors. In these spaces, such as in Hotel Deseo (2001) in Quintana Roo, Mexico and the Grand Hyatt Tokyo (2003) the shoji module highlights the solid construction of the frame3 and the diffusing glass of the panes informs the rest of the space, creating harmonious zones that directly correlate to the origins of Frame.4

 

end notes

  1. 1) Gunter Nitschke, “En-Transactional Space,” From Shinto to Ando: Studies in Architectural Anthropology in Japan (London: Academy Editions, 1994), 87, 90.
  2. 2) Dining Room, Lauderdale Ruttger Hotel  [1958] Frew and Squier; Fort Lauderdale, Florida in Hendrich-Blessing, “Hotels Motels,” Interior Design 31, no. 4 (April 1960), 132; Guest Suite, The Ilikai [1964] John Graham; Honolulu in Stan Rivera, “On the Beach at Waikiki,” Interior Design 36, no. 4 (April 1965): 150-153.
  3. 3) Guest Room, Hotel Deseo [2001] Central de Arquitectura; Quintana Roo, Mexico in Undine Prohl, New Hotels (New York: Harper Design International, 2003), 134.
  4. 4) Evidence for the archetypical use and the chronological sequence of Frame in resort and spa was developed from the following sources: 1960 Guest suite, The Ilikai Hotel (1964), John Graham, Architect; The Designers, Inc., Interior Design; Honolulu, HI in "On the Beach at Waikiki," Interior Design 36, no. 4 (Apr. 1965):152; PhotoCrd: Stan Rivera / 1990 Treatment Room, The Spa at Salish Lodge [1996] Mithun Partners; Snoqualmie, WA in Edie Cohen, "Falling Water," Interior Design 67, no. 12 (Oct. 1996): 100-103; PhotoCrd: Robert Pisano; Lobby, L'Ermitage Resort Hotel [reopened 1998] Chhada Siembieda Remedios Interior Design; Beverly Hills, CA in Michael Webb, "L'Ermitage Beverly Hills," Interiors 157, no. 11 (Nov. 1998): 103-105; PhotoCrd: Tim Street-Porter / 2000 Treatment Room, Emiliano [2001] Arthur de Mattos Casas, Architect; São Paulo, Brazil in New Hotels (New York: Harper Design International, 2003), 305; PhotoCrd: Tuca Reines; Treatment Room, Four Seasons Resort at Sayan [2001] Heah and Company; Bali, Indonesia in "The Sheltering Calm," Spa (May 2005): 89; PhotoCrd: Luca Trovato; Guest Room, Grand Hyatt Tokyo [2003] Kohn Pedersen Fox, Architect; Remedios Siembieda, Interior Design; Tokyo, Japan in Michael Webb, "Big in Japan," Hospitality Design Magazine 26, no. 7 (Sep./Oct. 2004): 119-120; PhotoCrd: Grand Hyatt Hotels; Pool, ESPA Center at Victoria-Jungfrau Grand Hotel & Spa [2003] Behles and Partners, Architects & Interior Design; Interlaken, Switzerland in Jane Levere, "Swiss Haiku," Hospitality Design Magazine 26, no. 6 (Aug. 2004): 68-69; PhotoCrd: Marcus Gyger.

bibliographic citations

1) The Interior Archetypes Research and Teaching Project, Cornell University, www.intypes.cornell.edu (accessed month & date, year).

2) Goldfarb, Rachel. “Theory Studies: Archetypical Practices of Contemporary Resort and Spa Design.” M.A. thesis, Cornell University, 2008, 146-151.