The Landmark Hotel

The comprehensive reinvention and rebranding of the original Hilton Hotel in Nicosia takes its lead from what has always been there, since the original construction in the late 60s. Lighting and the renewal of surfaces serve to illustrate the precedent with a renewed confidence. Elements are reinterpreted, materials are adopted and slight shifts in the layout reinvigorate the ageing edifice. A great deal of this new energy focuses on creating a stronger link between spaces and experiences, on the moulding of a lingering memory of the event. The element of water, rendered significant by its rarity in the landlocked capital, is instrumental in forming a stronger axis across the forecourt, the entrance and the courtyard at the rear of the hotel. A new clarity is provided. A new binding together of disparate parts. This is particularly evident in the external spaces where a second pool has been added along with further water surfaces that serve to define the central axis. The pool bar takes up its role anew, with a breath of fresh air about it, while the rhythm of columns and detail of the existing balconies come to inform and describe much. Copper as a surface material forms a direct reference to the new towers within the grounds. The green in the landscape, both before and behind the hotel volume, combine with the water features to provide an invigorating environment within which the hotel and its customers can reside. The link to these outdoor riches is further enhanced though increased public and commercial activity on the ground floor. The shifting of volumes and creation of a more legible courtyard which these spaces can open on to more comfortably serves to provide a level of containment that contrasts well with the open landscape of the forecourt. Luxury has been tucked away neatly but its presence is suggested without exaggeration from the first of approach.