Dubai | KA MAGAZINE

Hot Hotels

25 Jan 2010 | Categories: Uncategorized | Posted by: admin

KA MAGAZINE PICKS FOR HOT HOTELS :::

KUBE — ST. TROPEZ

If I was wishing to have the perfect word to replace “best of both worlds” that word would be KUBE. The Kube St. Tropez is that rare place where you get to have your cake and eat it too. Situated close enough to the night life of St. Tropez (for those times that you wish to take in that side of the French Riviera) and yet, it is far enough from the nightlife to give you that mini-resort feel.

Kube is the latest offering from the operators of the Murano hotels and sister to the Kube Paris. Located on the edge of town in Gassin, near the Villa Marie and the Villa Belrose, the Kube has done something not seen on this side of the French Riviera. It has taken the old and made it new. Kube has taken what was the former Caesar Domus and recreated it into a thing of beauty.

The hotel is a bit of urban zen, right smack in the middle of “old money” St. Tropez. The rooftop bar is actually more of a bay view lounge, where you will feel that much closer to heaven as DJs play for guests until the early morning.

This hotel could be considered style with space. The choice of room sizes range from S,M,L,–XXL, and guests actually have a chance to stay in something larger than a closet, while enjoying the magic of the French Riviera. The location of this hotel makes it a perfect choice for those wishing to have a break from the stress of the city while still having an urban experience.

The Perks: Sky Bar, beautiful design, Djs, beautiful people, private chef.

Jet Set cool: 13 Chemin de Rogon de la Valette St. Tropez- Gassin 83580 France (33) 1 42 05 20 00

THE SETAI — MIAMI

Living in Montreal sort of makes you a bit on the “hard to impress” side. Being from a city of beautiful bars and restaurants as a given, makes it even that much harder to be moved, shaken or stirred by the offerings of a less than amazing experience.

The bar at the Setai is one such experience that even to a jaded Montrealer, will leave you amazed by it’s clear beauty. The bar, on the roof top of the Setai, is set partially inside of the hotel with a lounge area (on the roof ) set up along side. The thing that is amazing with this area, and the Setai for that matter, is the “minimal, with feeling” décor — You are left feeling deserving of the time spent here. Unlike most recent builds, where you wonder if you (the client) were an after-thought — the Setai makes you feel that you were the only one they thought of.

The word “ultra luxurious” has been used by so many, that it has become an anti-climax. The Setai is deserving of another word, but for now we will have to use this one knowing that you will not be disappointed. The Setai is one of those hotels that have managed to do the difficult well, and without effort.

The rooms have everything that you can imagine and some you might not have even thought about as standard fare. King size bed, plasma screen TV, espresso machine, surround-sound CD and DVD system, rainfall shower – and much more.

The décor is Asian influenced, but not cliché. The walls are teak wood, the decorations are real jade, and the larger suites come with a sitting area, full kitchen, and jacuzzi. There are three pools with different temperature settings. A full service spa, two full service restaurants, one Asian and the other a more casual Grill.

The Perks: Perfect crisp white linens, the concierge service that contacts you before you even arrive in Miami to help plan your stay, a penthouse suite fit for royalty (would need it’s own separate review), perfect sunshine for a week.

True luxury: 2001 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33139 (305) 520-6100

ATLANTIS — DUBAI

I have been to the Atlantis in Bahamas and the experience was one to remember. I could not help myself in thinking if they would do another one somewhere else. With the Atlantis Dubai, my question has been answered. The sister hotel to the Atlantis (now we have to put Bahamas behind the word to be sure of which one we are speaking), details in geography aside… we get to focus on details in destination. The Atlantis Dubai has plenty.

Located on the Palm Dubai in the center of the Palm’s crescent, this hotel is definitely one with a view. Continuing a reoccurring theme in these reviews, the Atlantis features so many water themes, that one begins to feel like they are truly in the lost city of Atlantis. The hotel even has guests suites with wall sized aquariums. The lost Chambers Suites are exclusive to the Atlantis, with both bedroom and bath views directly into the Ambassador Lagoon with over 65,000 species of marine animals. If that wasn’t impressive enough, they have thrown in a personal butler for good measure.

Something that was of special interest to me, was The Dolphin Bay Lagoon with it’s seven interconnected pools, offering possibly the only dolphin rescue and rehabilitation center for stranded dolphins in the Arabian Gulf.

The Atlantis is so full of aquatic attractions that we tend to over look that it also is a 5 star hotel with great food and rooms. The rooms are perfect, the food is perfect, and the service is perfect. Now, lets get back to the Ambassador Lagoon shall we…?

The Perks: 24 hour room service, butler service, rooms with a view, water sports, spa.

Lost City Found Paradise: Atlantis The Palm, Jumeirah Dubai. UAE (+971) 4 426 2000

HALF MOON — MONTEGO BAY, JAMAICA

Question: When is a vacation, not just a vacation?

Answer: When that vacation becomes an experience.

The Half Moon Jamaica is just that, an experience. Something that leaves you smiling and feeling good from beginning to end. With a list of features that would take this whole article to write about, (we might just have to do a full review to give you the complete picture) it is truly a trip to paradise.

Situated on it’s own private beach, the resort is one of my favorites in Jamaica. Private butlers, horse back riding, parasailing, jacuzzis, saunas, and a full service spa are just a few of it’s features. This is one of those resorts that you would have to take two trips just to get started.

The sunset is breathtaking and the sound of the ocean stays with you for weeks after you have left this tropical paradise. With all of this, the one thing that stuck with me the most were the golf carts. It was so much fun to drive around on these electric golf carts that I felt like a kid again and I look forward to this. The Half Moon is so large, that to get around, guests either take the long walks from area to area, or use these golf carts.

The villas make you feel like you are in your own home, and leaving this “experience” was one of the few times that I actually felt like I was leaving home. But I know that I will be back again.

The Perks: Beautiful beaches, verandas overlooking the ocean, ocean breeze, spa, stress free luxury, championship golf course.

Ocean Luxury: Rose Hall Montego Bay, Jamaica W.I. (876) 953-2211

ZAHA HADID : Changing the World

12 Nov 2009 | Categories: Uncategorized | Posted by: admin

ZAHA HADID ARCHITECT — Feature in Second issue of KA MAGAZINE

CHANEL MOBILE ART

When I first saw this rendering of the Chanel Mobile Art Pavilion, my first thought was simply “This looks like the future” and to be honest, I was so taken by the sight of such a beautiful structure, that I didn’t care much for what it was.

It was a sort of a surprise that this structure was an art Pavilion when I was sure it was an instillation in and of itself. The pavilion was commissioned by Chanel’s Karl Lagerfeld, as a traveling 7,500 square foot stage showcasing the art of 20 of this world’s most famous contemporary artists, including Daniel Buren, Sylvie Fleury, and Yoko Ono.

Conceived by Karl Lagerfeld with Zaha Hadid, the Chanel Mobile Pavilion is art meets luxury. The artists chosen were to create works of art inspired by Chanel’s 2.5 quilted handbag.

The exhibit was slated to travel from Hong Kong to Tokyo then to New York with a final show in Paris, but after the New York show, the project has been halted.

Plans are to put the Pavilion in the courtyard of a new factory being built outside of Paris, where it would be used for temporary exhibits.

“I always thought the building was a sculpture. I prefer it empty.” Karl Lagerfeld

MANCHESTER OPERA HOUSE

The “What is it?” question came to mind when we first saw the renderings of the Manchester (Opera House) and not unlike the Chanel Mobile Art Pavilion, we really were not that burdened with needing to know what the structure was. Suffice to say, it was a thing of beauty, something that made the mind wonder and made the artist in all of us dream.

The Manchester Opera House is created with an internal steel frame, suspended from the ceiling and then covered in translucent fabric stretched tightly over the exterior. Acoustic panels are suspended above the stage to disperse the sound. The hall is installed inside the Manchester Art Gallery in a 17m by 25m room. The space is in the form of a ribbon which wraps itself around the 192 lucky souls who get to sit through a performance.

“A single continuous ribbon of fabric swirls around itself, creating layered spaces to cocoon the performers and audience within an intimate fluid space.” Zaha Hadid

CAIRO EXPO CITY

With one masterstroke, Cairo has moved ahead of the pack with the Cairo Expo City conference centre and hotel. Architects Zaha Hadid with partner Patrick Schumacher, are the masterminds behind what could arguably be the worlds most beautiful “Palais des Congres”.

Located between the centre of Cairo and the city’s airport, the 45,000 sq meter project will house an international exhibition and conference centre with a business hotel.

The beauty of the Cairo Expo City will definitely be a draw in and of itself.

“ We wanted to ensure that all the public spaces and formal composition of Cairo Expo City relate to the surrounding Egyptian landscape. Along the great rivers of the region, most particularly the Nile, there is a powerful dynamic – a constant flow between the water and the land – which extends to incorporate the neighboring buildings and landscapes. For the Cairo Expo City design, we worked to capture the seamlessness and fluidity in an urban architectural context.” Zaha Hadid

ZAHA HADID
“I think through our architecture, we can give people a glimpse of another world, and enthuse them, make them excited about ideas. Our archicture is intuitive, radical, international and dynamic. We are concerned with constructing buildings that evoke original experiences, a kind of strangeness and newness that is comparable to the experience of going to a new country.“ Zaha Hadid

ZAHA HADID IN 2004 BECAME THE FIRST WOMAN TO BE AWARDED THE PRITZKER PRIZE FOR ARCHITECTURE.

Here is a 3D Animation video of her “Chanel Mobile Art” Pavilion

Dennis Ingemansson : A new world

30 Apr 2009 | Categories: Uncategorized | Posted by: admin

dennis_ingemansson-dubai_the_world

Dubai’s ” The World”

Welcome to Dubai — Where sunshine and sand meets innovation, imagination and money. Over the past 10 years, it has become a literal “playground” for the Earth’s most innovative minds to come together and create the “Never-before-seen”.

Think of this: 300 man-made islands, set two-and-a-half miles off the coast of Dubai, into distinct formation creating the shape of … what else? The World.

Dennis Ingemansson has designed the Sea Limousine ( solar powered, self navigated, “sea-taxi”) linking the islands of “The World”.

dennis_ingemansson-dubai_sea_limousine2

The Dubai Sea Limousine — Conceptualized by Dennis Ingemansson for transportation between ” The World’s” artificial islands. This distinct hovercraft comes motorized with solar cells and is monitored by a satellite navigation system. It requires no human pilot, creating a high-speed passenger experience with impeccable safety and optimal comfort — ECO FRIENDLY — SAFETY — FUTURE

www.dennisingemansson.com

— Full interview with Dennis Ingemansson in Summer issue of KA MAGAZINE 2009

dennis-ingemansson__dubai_ya

dennis_ingemansson_portrait

INTERVIEW WITH DENNIS INGEMANSSON — KA MAGAZINE , SUMMER 2009

KA — The World has spiraled out of control, to the point that we as a species, if we continue on the same path, will not be able to survive on this planet. It seems also that the same cause of this problem, is the key to solving it — How do you think technology will do it right this time around?

DI — Today, we have already the DNA code of the technology for future survival: Innovative design. My experience says we that we have so much science and technology already developed. It’s time to put designers into venture companies to allow us to start using the science into new innovative concepts — These businesses will grow. It will also change the meaning and perception of this technology. I believe that technology will begin to communicate with humanity— we will see emotions and feelings in the future. Therefore, we are a bit closer to becoming a better friend with our planet.

KA — There seems to be a new notion that globally, we have not even begun to be who we are as a species, that fossil fuels are a thing of the past — Do you think we are just at the beginning of what we are going to be in the future?

DI — Our new ideal of saving the planet gives new freedom and directions without end. Indeed, it’s a new beginning of an Earth that will be more peaceful and loving. I believe Mr. President Obama will lead us into a new peaceful and eco-friendly dimension that we never experienced before.

KA — Everything of value is based on nature : Real estate values are more based on the land that on the property. — Why do you think it has taken so long to understand that Nature is the most important thing there is?

DI — Humanity has been distracted by issues such as war, racism, slavery and dictators — We only recently have begun to become more united in solving these global issues. Our next step is to unite in saving the planet from Global Warming.

KA — You seem to be so cool with your work. You share your ideas with the only request of getting credit, and your manner is so unassuming and not like what we would think someone doing the type of design you do (usually ultra-private and unapproachable) — Do you feel that in the context of getting to a quick solution, we have all just to share the knowledge?

DI — Thank you. I am delighted you like my work. I think it’s very important for designers and companies to share their visions of the future. Strong designers are able to make people dream and reach their emotions. However, we are in a new business era. For example — Skype share a free service that pushing other companies to rethink and create innovation.

I am devoted to green luxury yacht innovation. For sure, the yacht world is based on ultra private values — it’s your own private island. The yacht interiors are often decorated with top historical art, and life onboard can sometimes feel a bit “stiff”. I want to change this perception and push the meaning of “luxury” higher. The essence of my work is unconventional thinking. I base my ideas in design on passion, emotions, feelings of nature and human love. Actually, I am a strong idealist that thinks the highest degree of art —

In fact, the art that you can’t buy.