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Oniro Studios Presents The Courtyard Hotel in Waterfall City

The new Courtyard Hotel Waterfall City by CLHG (City Lodge Hotel Group) is now open. Entrusted to realise a new vision for their 4-star band, the design of the Courtyard by Oniro Studios, aims to represent a South African context and flair throughout the concept.

The rise of personal experience within hotels has been an ever-growing key theme within the hospitality industry. Achieving this “personal experience” directed the design team into creating a concept for this property.

Design is all about evoking emotions in us, so each space throughout the building was designed with careful consideration to ensure that it captured the essence of South African contextual elements merged together with a subtle art-deco feel.

The goal for the interiors was not to create a space that celebrates a richness of layers, details and textures. Moreso, it had to be functional and it had to transition from a light-filled cosmopolitan character, ideal for daytime meetings, into a nighttime venue where lighting would shift the spaces into a more moody atmosphere.

The aesthetics played an important role in this 168 bedroom hotel. However, there was also a synergy required where technology, sustainability and design met to create an unforgettable guest experience. This comes as an authentic “home-away-from-home” experience.

There is a cohesive base colour pallet threaded throughout the hotel. However, each space received its own narrative through colour, materiality, lighting, furniture, art and object.

A celebration of local talent

Our local talent is showcased all through the public areas. It was important to assemble local furniture manufacturers, industrial designers, shopfitters, artists and ceramicists to create pieces that echoed through all the areas. These were to tie back to the core of the concept. All this intertwined with a hint of an art-deco feel that would keep the hotel’s look current for years to come.

The reception space is warm and inviting with a custom chandelier, an emerald tiled wall feature and panelled ceilings above. These are some of the main features when you enter the hotel. The wall feature consists of individually hand cast triangular concrete tiles in-front of a beaded wallpaper.

An artist was commissioned to create three beautiful custom artworks behind the reception. These depict the building’s coordinates, name and physical address as abstracts. This subsequently again highlights the importance of contextual design.

The local art theme continues through to the co-working space that has a rich ochre colour palette complimented with African patterns and details.

Just off the reception, the space flows into the pre-function and conferencing area. This is an extension of the reception that has striking petrol blue and gold accents. Arches designed in this area have created niches, which fills a functional requirement for food and drink for the conference rooms. It also fills an aesthetic value with carefully selected decor that re-affirms the South African flair.

 

A reflection of SA Heritage

The restaurant reflects our heritage with a magnificent chipped plaster wall feature of our national flower, the King protea. This protea theme continues with handprinted proteas on the ceiling that cascades down onto a wall on the raised level overlooking the pool area. Teals and low sheen brass play off other textures such as terrazzo and concrete tiles. This subsequently creates drama in every corner of the restaurant. This is a highly styled and detailed area. It is thus infused with greenery and ambient lighting.

The Club lounge’s entrance is framed with beautiful black aluminium arches with fluted glass.  Furthermore, it comprises two partially dived areas. One includes armchairs and coffee tables that allow easy access for charging should you require, and the other has more of a dining room setting.

The space is subsequently a valley of greens with some zebra pattered touches on the upholstery. Custom brass metal Kudu head sculptures are fixed above the banqueting seating which represents our beautiful wildlife. Hanging plants and art-deco inspired cabinetry mixed with decor old world books add to the mood of the space.

Bringing the outdoors in

Bedrooms and suites have been designed with soothing shades of green that sit alongside stylish enduring contemporary furniture pieces. This is all tied together with a bespoke circular rug. The rug has an image of succulents printed on it and has become the art piece in the room. The use of greens inside the rooms was also a representation that we do live in one of the largest man-made forests in the world. Oniro Studios further aimed to bring the ”outdoors” into the space through the use of the green tones.

Lighting was very important in the bedrooms. The ambience created through the use of various lights and lighting details in the shopfitting had to evoke emotions of tranquillity whilst you enjoy a cup of coffee on the deep green velvet day bed overlooking beautiful cityscape views.

Fluted glass, terrazzo tiles, custom-developed green grout between the bathroom tiles and an artdeco inspired custom vanity captured the essence of the bathrooms. The wall light along with soft led lighting washes over the walls. This further fills the bathrooms with feelings of simplicity and luxury.

In conclusion, the creative inspiration for this project truly came from cerebrating all things South African.

Find out more online at Oniro Studios.


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