Have you ever wondered what makes certain hotels work well and what does not? It starts at the design stage. And the design and build of a hotel is quite different from that of a home or an office. This is because the users are different and the key to great architecture is one that is user-centric.
Dr Adun Okupe, Senior Advisor at Red Clay Advisory sat down with Architect Dipo Adebo to reflect on his firm’s role in the design and construction of the new Lagos Marriott Hotel in Ikeja. Red Clay is a boutique tourism advisory practice working to harness the potential of sustainable tourism in Africa. Dipo Adebo is the principal architect of DAA Architects Limited, an architectural firm that specializes in hospitality, retail and urban residential designs.
The Lagos Marriott Hotel, Ikeja
Tell us about the new hotel and its design. How did you get involved in the project and what was your role?
DAA was taken on after the concept design was done by G1 Architecture, a firm based in the UK. The client was keen to fast-track construction start-up onsite and hoped for an expedited completion. Our initial role was to assist the UK team in progressing the schematic and detail design phases, ensuring that we integrated the local planning and construction requirements. However, during the design phase, G1 were unable to continue, and DAA had to take over the rest of the design through to the construction phase of the project. Also, during the construction stage, DAA was asked to provide project coordination in parallel to the project manager appointed for the job.
Can you share a bit more about the design process, how long did it take from concept to the final launch of the hotel that we see?
The entire design and construction period for the project were originally planned for about 3-4 years, but ended up lasting 7 years, in part due to the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This does highlight many of the issues that are peculiar to the process of designing ‘branded’ hotels. Much of the design was done in parallel with the ongoing construction. In addition, several presentations and approvals were required from the hotel operator at different stages of the design process. If collaboration is not present the program suffers. Also peculiar to Nigeria are the difficult logistical issues of shipping and clearing through our ports, the very many imported items that form part of a major branded hotel. The moral of the story is that we need to increase local manufacture of many of these products.
What was the inspiration for the hotel’s theme?
The initial concept was done by G1 Architecture who were the design partners on the project. Generally, operators have guidelines for their branded hotels reflecting the design and construction methodologies within the development location. They do not determine the design aesthetic but the planning does need to suit their operational guidelines. The basis of the design was to create an internal focus. This was not a big site where ground floor facilities will abound and where extensive natural landscaping could be done. An internal court was designed which formed the main focal point of the design, incorporating a pool with a terrace, outdoor bar, and an open-air garden and entertainment space.
High ceilings and lighting present an inviting welcome for guests
What are some of the design elements of the Marriott Hotel Ikeja that fascinate you and why?
Concerning design elements, the fact that we had a smallish site (for a 250-key 5-star hotel) with a restriction on the number of floors meant that parking and some back-of-house areas had to be in the basement levels. The pool terrace and the restaurant terraces were therefore on an elevated floor giving the space elevated views. The U-shaped guestroom floors also have excellent ‘internal’ views of these terraces which I am sure will become an excellent relaxation and entertainment area.
The roof of the building is a veritable ‘factory’ with a myriad of cooling and ventilation equipment, heat exchangers, control rooms, which the user does not see but which are crucial to providing the ‘sea of calm’ within the hotel. Many would be surprised at the number of restaurants in the building and the various kitchens which service them, as well as the huge back of house facilities that support the functioning of the hotel.
What about design challenges? What did you encounter and how were you able to navigate this?
There are nearly always challenges in the design of a major luxury hotel, as there are very many space types to integrate – multiple restaurants, fitness centres, ballroom and meeting room spaces, following operator guidelines, and adherence to extremely important fire and life safety requirements. Weaving all these demands into the framework of a multi-storey building on a relatively small site, was a major challenge. As indicated earlier, the extent of the back of house (BOH) facilities which support the hotel operations are vast- multiple floors of workshops, plant rooms, stores, staff facilities, training rooms, IT service rooms, etc. A truly herculean effort by a committed team.
What user challenge(s) has this new hotel addressed?
Interesting question. The main user challenges in today’s hotels are the need for a comfortable and safe guestroom, reliable and fast internet access, clean public spaces, clean treated water at every faucet in the hotel’s public spaces. Given that this is an upscale hotel, Marriott can also offer perks such as multiple restaurants, a fully-equipped gym and spa, pool and bar. Feedback from guests has been very good, and we have received design commissions from guests who have stayed in some of our hotels. The hotel has already integrated technology that allows rooms to be accessed by smartphones, a system which the ongoing pandemic has brought to everyone’s attention.
The Asian Fusion Restaurant with a sculptural piece as a room divider which allows for seamless integration between the spaces
Let’s talk about technology now, what can guests look out for in the new hotel?
Most major hotels are having to integrate new technologies – the ability to use smartphones to book, check-in and access guestroom entry doors is one major development. Many hotels now implement building management systems that ensure the minimisation of energy usage everywhere in the hotel. Even menus in the restaurant can be read off smartphones. Of course, fast and efficient internet access is a must. Post-Covid, there will be a need to integrate more contact-less technologies, for accessing doorways, reading menus, making payments, etc.
In addition, we have implemented several waste minimisation technologies in striving to achieve a high degree of sustainability in hotel design. A good number of operators have signed up for the Edge certification which was developed by the IFC.
A common misconception is that any building can be designed by just any architect. What would you say is the key difference between a residential building architect and a hotel architect?
A residential building and a commercial office building are relatively simple and well-defined real estate models and do not have the complexity that hotel development entails. Hotels are a mix of retail, residential, entertainment, meeting and conferencing event spaces, and restaurant spaces.
Balancing the requirements of this mix of spaces is a significant design task, coupled with the very extensive and complex mechanical and electrical servicing requirements of a facility that has to operate 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Many hotel operators also have discrete design requirements which define each of their brands.
The world of hotel development places much more emphasis on Fire and Life Safety, and it is imperative that a hotel meets international standards. While apartment and commercial office design is carried out by the prime consultants (architect, structural engineer, MEP engineer) hotel design, in addition to the prime consultants, involves a good many specialist consultants who may provide acoustics, interior design, kitchen and laundry design, landscape design, vertical transportation design, fire and life safety design, food and beverage design, signage design, and others.
The reception space is called The Great Room, an expansive space guiding the guest through the centre of the hotel. It is a multi-functional open-plan connector space with the theme: where business meets social. The Great Room is available for food, drinks and small meetings.
What would you say is the importance of a hotel architect to a successful hotel project?
There is no gainsaying that an investor proposing a hotel development should seek out architects with hotel design experience; these architects add significant value to the development and can help the developer control his budget and his construction program. Architects with hotel experience know how to manage the development process and the required interface with the operator, and with the entire team of specialists involved. Simply stated, using an experienced hotel architect will save time and money and prevent very costly errors. The architect will be aware of all the different components of a hotel development package including FF&E and OS&E, and how the integration of all these require very considerable collaboration from all the members of an experienced team.
What is DAA working on now and what can we look forward to in the future?
DAA is very well-known to numerous international hotel chains, and we are often recommended to hotel investors. We are currently working on a Park Inn by Radisson at the airport, and a Hyatt Regency Hotel, also in Lagos. We have a Radisson project in Accra, as well as a 100-bed hotel in Zamfara State. We do provide advisory services to many other clients who may already have a design team and require peer reviews or wish to ensure that they meet operators’ standards. We are also often called on as clients representatives to help guide clients through this maze.
The Hotel lobby has a staircase with a view that provides a great feature piece especially when lit at night and seen from outside