Azernews.Az

By Nigar Orujova

Four Seasons Hotel Baku, a five-star luxury hotel on the waterfront promenade in the Azerbaijani capital, which was commissioned last December, brings a new look to the city.

The new and palatial Four Seasons Hotel, designed by specialist hotel architects, ReardonSmith, is located in the center of the city where East meets West and where sculptured high-rise towers co-exist with centuries-old buildings, in front of the Baku Boulevard next to the Old City.

ReardonSmith is an award-winning architectural practice specializing exclusively in hotels and resorts. Recent and current projects include Four Seasons St Petersburg, Four Seasons and JW Marriott Absheron both in Baku, two new hotels for a ski resort in Azerbaijan, and the creation of The Beaumont, in London's Mayfair, the first, and now the second and third phases, of Porto Montenegro on the Adriatic coastline which includes a Regent Hotel, and the total restoration of The Savoy and the rebuilding of The Four Seasons London at Park Lane.

The Four Seasons Baku hotel adorned in a local pale-tone stone and pre-patinated cooper roof, was build in the references to the French Beaux-Arts style of the late 19th Century, and consist of a total of 175 guestrooms and suites, and since the corridors are single loaded, each room offers a view of either Baku or the Caspian Sea.

This plan resulted in a space in the centre of the seven guest floors within which ReardonSmith has designed a stunning "Roman basilica" soaring to a height of 12 metres under a vaulted ceiling and housing a large swimming pool. The rooftop spa with its numerous treatment rooms, a hammam and wet areas nestles under a glazed roof with a marble-encased hot tub area extending into one of the domes. A speciality restaurant and bar as well as a number of private dining rooms are also accommodated on the top floor capturing more unforgettable views.

Conrad Smith, Managing Director of ReardonSmith Architects, has spoken to AzerNews about the Four Seasons Hotel Baku.

Q.: The Four Seasons hotel is your second creation in Baku. It looks different from the recently commissioned JW Marriott Hotel Absheron Baku. Was the city your inspiration for these distinct architectural solutions -- classical for Four Seasons hotel and modern for JW Marriott Absheron?

A.: In the design of both the Four Seasons and the JW Marriott Absheron, we were responding to our client's wishes. That said, our client wanted the two hotels to each relate to their immediate environs and this philosophy is one which we totally support. In the case of the Four Seasons with its clear referencing of the late 19th Century French Beaux-Arts style, the rationale was that this related to a time in Baku when wealthy entrepreneurs were designing their residences in this palatial manner and, since the hotel is situated on the edge of the Old City, recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage site, it was appropriate to create a classically inspired building.

By contrast, the JW Marriott Absheron, located at the gateway to Port Baku, heralds a district that is undergoing striking modern regeneration and it therefore needed to tell this particular story. Since the hotel overlooks Azadliq Square, it was crucial to provide a prominent landmark that was completely connected with the square, both in terms of its physical form and the spirit of its structural styling. At ReardonSmith, we always like to complement the immediate location of our hotels.

Q.: Your Four Seasons hotel projects in London, St. Petersburg and Baku differ a lot, but they clearly reflect the city they were built in. What helps you to fit the building to the city landscape?

A.: Our most recent, and in the case of St Petersburg current, Four Seasons projects are quite different in terms of their architectural provenance. The Four Seasons London at Park Lane was originally purpose-built for Four Seasons in the 1970s. Our project was therefore a renovation in which the building envelope had to remain but inside we were able to entirely strip out the structure, which was necessary since the hotel had not been comprehensively upgraded since it first opened. Given that London today is such a diverse, cosmopolitan city, the hotel we rebuilt internally is contemporary and timeless and we re-fenestrated the building so that the exterior was subtly brought up-to-date.

The St Petersburg Four Seasons is being created within the historic "Lions Palace" built as a royal residence in 1817, and while the 20th Century had seen the loss of a lot of its original features, the property occupies an important place in the narrative of St Petersburg. Therefore the decision was taken by the city authorities to restore and recreate a glorious building. As architects, we have taken our cue from this. Whereas, in Baku, since this is a new-build hotel, we have taken our cue from the location.

Q.: What architectural style was taken as a basis while designing the Four Seasons hotel in Baku where East meets West?

A.: The Four Seasons Baku references the French Beaux-Arts style of the late 19th Century and is an exuberant building of classical proportions.

Q.: Could ReardonSmith Architects achieve its main objective in this project and are you satisfied with your work?

A.: We are truly delighted to have been given the opportunity to contribute such a significant building to Baku's diverse cityscape and we believe that we have been able to achieve all our client's objectives in the design. Furthermore, as specialist hotel architects we always make it our task to hand over hotels that are well-planned and appropriate for the operator. Again, I think we have achieved this for Four Seasons.

Q.: The Four Seasons hotel in Baku with an excellent view to the city and magnificent look seems to be very competitive on the hotel market of Azerbaijan. Grand facade of the hotel is quite impressive, but what about its inner life?

A.: The inner life of the Four Seasons Baku corresponds to its outer life. While the Beaux-Arts exterior styling was a client prerequisite, we nevertheless designed the building from the inside out to ensure that the guest experience inside matched the visual promise outside. So you could say that the facade reflects the interior values of the hotel as well as Four Seasons' outstanding level of guest service.