How do you make a modern hotel sleek yet functional? What if you need to maximize an abundance of natural light to make guest rooms appear spacious and open? When designing a space that requires luxury, elegance and optimal functionality, the materials must be as exceptional as the design. For the trendy Ushuaïa Beach Hotel, the use of KLEIN® frameless glass walls and sliding doors was the perfect solution.
Located in Ibiza, an island off the coast of Spain, the Ushuaïa Beach Hotel offers an unforgettable experience. Guests can enjoy mood lighting, sensual rain showers, Jacuzzi tubs, and panoramic views in the spacious suites. Swim-up bars, infinity pools, large Bali sun beds, and even a chill-out zone all make this chic hotel THE place to stay. When designing the 234 guest rooms, the task facing the architects was to organize the space in an elegant but functional way.
Providing Light, Technology and Privacy Through Frameless Glass Panels
To showcase current technology and maximize the natural light found in Ibiza, each room needed KLEIN® sliding door systems. The systems were seamlessly integrated into the design to separate the bathroom from the rest of the space with frameless glazed panels. These panels simultaneously added privacy and visual space to suites.
Choosing the Right Glass Wall System
Using a transparent glass cube, practically invisible, the architects were able to delineate the space for the shower without losing the natural light. This design set the shower apart from the bathroom but still kept it part of the overall space. The shower became accessible through a sliding glass door, which glided over a transparent fixed glass panel. The KLEIN® Rollglass profile, cut at 45 degrees, provided the technology and design to elegantly integrate all elements of this glass cube, including both the fixed glass panels and the sliding door.
A similar treatment was used for the toilet area with even more privacy. A discrete, cubic space with a translucent sliding glass door that glided across a fixed partition provided little separation between the fixed panel and the sliding one.
Benefits of a Frameless Glass System
There are several reasons why the KLEIN system was the perfect solution for the design requirements of this hotel.
First, due to the absence of a floor track, there were no architectural barriers, highlighting the overall airy feel of the room.
Second, KLEIN® Rollglass was easy to install, with a unique, first-class, compact profile. And this lower profile meant that the guide and stops could be attached without drilling into the floor.
Additionally, sliding doors helped maximize the use of space to make the room more functional. Since the interior glass doors can slide back and forth, there was no wasted space from what is typically required of a door on a hinge.
“KLEIN® sliding door systems are a guarantee of technology, design and elegance for the client, reliable and easy for the installation professional to work with. They are specially developed for demanding projects like the Ushuaïa Beach Hotel,” said Carlos Rodriguez, manager of Cidal, S.L., aluminum carpentry specialists who participated in the building process.
The icing on the cake: the hotel architects, Estudio Vila 13, won Architecture of the Year from European Hotel Design Awards for the conversion of the Ushuaïa Beach Hotel. By adding light and functionality, KLEIN® frameless glass walls were proud to play a part in this achievement.
Does your architectural or design firm have a project with similar goals? Visit our website to discover creative solutions and learn more about our hospitality projects.
