A business and leisure hotel that reflects the sea breeze through its materials

Born in the wake of the Port of Sines industrial project in Portugal, the Sines Sea View hotel has been designed to respond to the need for a business and leisure space in the area. Its owners, of Ukrainian origin, saw the opportunity and the need to provide Sines – a city that hosts major events, including the Festival Músicas do Mundo (World Music Festival) and numerous international sporting events – with such a venue. “The seasonal nature of tourism also dictated the need for the hotel to serve the local population, and it was precisely this diversity of needs that guided our choices in terms of interior design”, explain its designers, Pedro Aráujo and Vitor Martins, founding partners of Luxdesign, the studio in charge of the project.

“In the Sines Sea View hotel we found the possibility of adapting the space to our personal connection to the region. We managed to convey the values and the direction the hotel should follow in relation to its connection to the industry and beach tourism, trying to combine all those elements in the same space”, they further say. Thus, the two founding partners put their idiosyncrasies into the design concept of the hotel.

The two have known each other since their student days at the António Arroio School of Arts in Lisbon and, after working on a number of projects for different studios, they decided to found their own design studio. Some of the most relevant projects in which they have participated are the Mosque of Lisbon and the headquarters of the Portuguese public television. As for their influences, they choose Richard Meier and Luis Barragán, among others.

This time, the designers have put all their efforts into creating a hotel with an emotional atmosphere and in close connection with its context. To achieve this, they chose a colour scheme in bright blues and greens, and an eclectic and powerful combination of materials. “The colours chosen are related to the place and the project, to the moods. The Italian school teaches not to be afraid of using colour, to be bold. Colour is essential to life, and we are not afraid to be bold in its combination”, they say.

The favourite colour palette of designer Pedro Araújo includes shades of black, white, yellow and red. In terms of materials, the designer also has his own preferences. “Wood and stone are the materials that can never be missing in our projects”, they say. And they also show a predilection for DKTN and Silestone. “Because of their similarity with natural products, easy maintenance and strength, which provide peace of mind to the customer, the choice of Cosentino materials is always present”, they say.

“In our opinion, DKTN is a very versatile product which can be adapted to many applications where natural stone would be exposed to heavy wear. The certainty that we are offering the best possible option to our customer is the reason we choose it”, explain the designers. In addition to this recently opened hotel, Luxdesign is working on another project for which they have also proposed Cosentino materials as the best technical solution for the façade.

“Silestone has also been a recurring choice in hospitality and sanitary facilities because of its strength, durability and attractive design”, says the studio, whose philosophy revolves around offering customers the best options. “Culturally, we are very different from our customers, most of whom are foreigners, and in this regard we try to offer them a wide range of options that, in many cases, deviate from their cultural standards”, they further say.

For the two designers, sustainability is a determining factor in the choice of materials. “For us, the durability of materials is essential, as we cannot constantly replace them. Products need to be as durable as possible, and this is a major contribution to sustainability”, they say.

“The hospitality and food service sector is our latest passion in the field of interior design. It embodies comprehensive projects that allow us to create spaces for different purposes and different people. We like to be able to diversify within the same project”, explain the designers about the interior design project for the Sines Sea View hotel.

This hotel features different Cosentino surfaces in a wide range of applications. The bathrooms feature DKTN Laurent, a dark shade with elegant veining, perfect for creating cosy and intimate spaces.

As for the restaurant tables, the use of DKTN Arga for the tabletops – a colour inspired by Taj Mahal quartzite and featuring a soft cream background crossed by brown and golden veins – makes them very stylish.

Last but not least, the bar tops feature a wide range of Cosentino surfaces, including Silestone Coral Clay, an energetic cream colour, Et. Glow and Lena Rougui, which perfectly exemplify the versatility of Cosentino surfaces.