Architecture & Design

Mediterranean Modernism

Another aspect which we felt strongly about was the design of our hotel. We understood that form, tectonics, colour, and haptics all have crucial impact on how places are perceived, experienced, enjoyed and finally, remembered.

Bearing this in mind we stepped slightly away from the global trends in hospitality and found inspiration in the Mediterranean’s long relationship with high Modernism.

More specifically we were thinking of designs for family villas and hotels built in and around the city of Dubrovnik during the 1930s by a renown local architect of the early modernist period Nikola Dobrović.

His highly functionalist architecture interprets the characteristics of Dubrovnik’s fortifications and its cultivated stone landscape in a contemporary way. Apart from cherishing the principles of new architecture, we also valued in Dobrović’s oeuvre the timeless interest in form, materiality, space, and location.

These were the aspects we wanted to see underlined in the design for Osmoliš; modern but untouched by trends, devoid of excess artificiality and stereotypical tropes of luxury, with strong focus on connection with the land, community and history.

Drawing from these premises, architect Damir Vitković envisaged a modernist concrete structure with distinct brise-soleils, reclusive, protected room modules and a heavy console of the large canopy immersed in greenery, oﬀfering stunning views of the sea.

The hotel's public spaces, located on the “ﬂoating", glazed ground ﬂoor level, are charcterised by open plans and visual interweaving with the lush vegetation of the surrounding slopes

Interior

The interior design by Numen/Foruse conceptually followed up on Vitković’s project, retaining raw concrete as the key finish throughout the inner spaces of the building as well.

On all surfaces in the interior where direct contact between architecture and the body was expected, wooden cladding, specifically larch, was used as the final layer. The composition of the wooden panels follows the architectural strata and actively traces the transitional zones between the grandeur of exposed concrete slabs and a more human domain of furniture, fabrics and lighting. The apartments and rooms are furnished in a simple and understated way, with an emphasis on serenity, textures and natural materials. Subdued atmosphere and a dark tone spectrum purposefully mute the sun and draw focus to the panoramic views of the sea and the horizon.

The entire furniture concept is realised through close collaboration of designers Numen/ For use and the leading local manufacturer Prostoria, with many pieces developed specifically for this project, including the Klaster modular seating system, the outdoor collections Jugo and (eponimous) Osmo, which have all become part of the Prostoria's regular product range.

In contrast to the weight and certain brutality of the architecture, all furniture and fixtures are marked by relative neutralness or delicacy of form, pleasant haptics and discreet chromatic playfulness.

VISUAL IDENTITY

The visual identity of the hotel is minimal, linear, and stems from the desire to focus the viewer on the experience of the place and the area. The shape of the circle suggests a rounded / perfect experience that the visitor experiences with his senses through nature, architecture, gastronomy and people while staying in a certain area. The treatment of the letters in the exterior also relies on Dobrović's carved in concrete. An unobtrusive, linear graphic part that follows architecture and design is derived from it, while not interfering with the observer in his experience. In visual communication outside the hotel, the identity is complemented by collages of family photos and shots of Brsečine as an impression of the place, the region and the customs.

The project was designed in creative collaboration of Numen/ For use with architects Vanja Magić and Ivana Jonke.

Visual identity is signed by designers Nora Mojaš and Made Milićević (Linear studio).

Photos by Domagoj Blažević and Numen/For use.