Share to
Alt University District
By : LemayMichaud
GRANDS PRIX DU DESIGN – 17th edition
Discipline : Interior Design
Categories : Accommodation, Restaurant & Bar / Chain Hotel : Gold Certification
Categories : Special Awards / Signage & Branding : Gold Certification
The Alt University District embodies comfort, environmental consciousness, and sophisticated urban aesthetics, reflecting the Alt hotel chain. The establishment features 155 rooms spread over 15 floors, including 16 universally accessible rooms, six meeting rooms, a gym, spacious lounges, and a welcoming lobby providing direct access to a café and restaurant.
The hotel incorporates the colorful and creative design of the brand, seamlessly blending into the dynamic and diverse neighborhood where it is located. The hotel’s design includes small but well-designed rooms, complemented by generous, welcoming, and comfortable common areas, offering a variety of environments where guests can socialize, work, or relax.
The primary inspiration for the common areas was undoubtedly the bustling neighborhood and its young and dynamic clientele. The ground floor was designed with utmost transparency, allowing the activities of the commercial units to animate the sidewalk and courtyard between the buildings, enhancing the pedestrian ambiance and creating a lively atmosphere. Upon arrival, guests are welcomed into a spacious lobby with a cozy atmosphere and urban look. The reddish-orange exterior brick is introduced indoors, the concrete floor is exposed and polished, and industrial-style glass partitions are integrated into the vestibule and elevator lobby. The lounge areas on the ground floor and the 2nd floor are accentuated with their wood-paneled walls, modern integrated furniture, and abundant colorful sofas and armchairs. The presence of several pieces by specially selected local artists adds uniqueness and a familiar touch to the spaces. A nod to the academic environment, the main lobby’s spiral staircase is inspired by those found in old-fashioned libraries.
While the public spaces are colorful and eclectic, the rooms invite to relaxation with their understated materiality in warm and neutral tones. Metal details on the wardrobes add a contemporary touch, complemented by the graphic design on the glass shower wall introducing greenery reminiscent of the province’s grand landscapes. The finishes were chosen for their durability, and the custom environments are inspiring and fresh. Emphasis was placed on flexibility. Each room’s worktable has softened corners and is placed on wheels for easy movement and various uses. These principles apply well where units are small and flexibility is essential. The bathrooms in the rooms were designed to be prefabricated in a woodworking shop to reduce the time and labor required during on-site installation and ensure optimal quality control.
The environmental graphic design is evident in three spheres of the hotel: the common areas, the rooms, and the elevator lobbies on the room floors. The first intervention is themed around literature and the region’s geography, where a mountain range unfolds across two walls of a large common space, created by tearing pages from books and roadmaps. These three elements allude to adventure, a nod to the hotel’s traveling clientele.
To maintain harmony with the interior design, a printed mural is positioned prominently in front of the elevator exit on room floors. The mural features a photo montage that artfully combines an image of the regional flora with an oversized houndstooth pattern. Each floor is identified by a color that continues both in the mural and on all floor signage elements. The brand image thus claims the space, creating an ambiance and visual intrigue that enrich the user experience.
In the rooms, a printed visual occupies the glass surface dividing the shower from the sleeping area. In addition to providing a privacy screen, the visual composition, featuring an image of Lake Louise alongside a geometric composition of triangles, adds a distinctive touch. This same composition, an identifying and common gesture in the latest generation of Alt Hotels, is also used in the bathroom.
Collaboration
Interior Designer : LemayMichaud
Engineering : Genecor Experts Conseils
