Create it, and they will buy…

The real estate industry is in turmoil at the moment for obvious reasons of tighter lending conditions and the lack of financing options around the world. With all of these troubles however, property speculators and buyers who still manage to have some cash on hand are among the lucky few who are able to make some worthwhile investments. If you are one of these opportunistic investors for hospitality purposes or otherwise, experts are saying that your best bet might be to follow the artists in your city. According to Business Week, these areas of town are often the diamonds in the rough that can prove to be a valuable investment:

“Soho was once one. So were Tribeca; Venice, Calif.; and Philadelphia’s Old City. These former gritty neighborhoods once offered low-cost housing for artists.

Over time, these neighborhoods flourished, adding art galleries, coffee shops, hip little boutiques, and cool restaurants. Property values in turn increased to the point where many of the original artists found themselves priced out. Eventually the artists moved on in search of new bohemian blocks, but for the savvy home buyer, keeping an eye on where artists live can be a great way to get in early before a market takes off.

The reason is that artists are happy to move where real estate investors aren’t prepared to go—crime-ridden inner cities with trashed-out apartments, inside rat-infested buildings that seem destined for the wrecking ball.

Artists aren’t looking for the next hot neighborhood, just large, affordable spaces where they can grind, hammer, saw, and generally make a racket in the name of creativity. But they often set the stage for redevelopment, and home buyers who follow their lead can sometimes get in while real estate prices are affordable.

“Artists send the signal,” said Corbett. “The artists are the early adopters.…They do it in real estate the same way they do it in fashion, furniture design, and graphic design.”

The following images are three of these up-and-coming neighborhoods that artists have developed ( Pilsen in Chicago, Wynwood in Miami, and Jamaica Plain in Boston)

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Next Generation: Mobile Phone Apps

With the rise of the iPhone and alternative smart phones becoming more and more ubiquitous, users have embraced the latest generation and influx of mobile phone applications. These are basically either downloaded or web-based programs that utilize the Internet for time (and sometimes face-)saving information, suggestions, or direction. Among the most popular and rewarding programs are the following (according to Conde Nast Portfolio). Hundreds of applications for the iPhone can be downloaded for free or for a few dollars at the iTunes shop. Otherwise, users can get the applications directly from the developer (typically on their site) :

Nirvino

Nirvino, available free for all Web-enabled mobile devices, has been described as “Yelp meets Wine Spectator.” In addition to compiling professional reviews, the service also lists amateur ratings, decanting normally hoity-toity wine assessments into evaluations everyone can understand. This summer, the service added beer and cocktails, relying on location-aware technology to help users find the highest-rated bars nearby.

GeoPedia

You’re on the road for work and jonesing for a dose of local history or some information on a quirky building? This free iPhone application will deliver information about landmarks as you go by. The service, from Trivialware, includes data about museums, historical spots, and other points of interest in dozens of U.S. cities. Since it’s still in development, the database continues to grow every day.

TrafficGauge

Save time and stress with this application, which delivers real-time traffic to an iPhone, BlackBerry, or Web-enabled P.D.A. in an easy-to-read map. The mobile service, which costs $2.99 per month ($35.88 per year), is a spinoff of a regular subscription service offered by TrafficGauge. One downside: As of July, only certain markets were available, including Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle.

Flight Stats

Savvy users of Web-enabled devices who fly regularly will want this free application from Conducive Technology, which gives the status of thousands of flights at more than 1,000 airports around the world. The service also provides data on flight arrival gates, airport parking, and weather systems. Users can search the database by flight number, route, or airport.

Taxi!

Designed specifically for iPhones, this 99-cent mobile application from Tap4Taxi finds taxi services in more than 260 cities across the U.S. All searches are automatically based on location, providing users with one-touch telephone connection. The application also offers user ratings and information about whether each company accepts credit cards.

Urbanspoon

This free mobile application has restaurant recommendations covered. Available for all mobile devices, the service aggregates user reviews (and amateur food photos) from top restaurants in dozens of U.S. cities. iPhone users can access a special location-aware version that recommends eateries within a few-mile radius.

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Sleep Event 2008

The Sleep Event is Europe´s only event devoted to hotel design, development, and architecture. It is sponsored by
Organized by Sleeper Magazine, the event attracts Europe’s leading hotel owners, operators, designers, architects, investors, developers, contractors and consultants, as well as those who service and supply the industry. CEO of Design Hotels, Claus Sendlinger, will participate as a judge for the “Best Interior Design (Bedrooms & Bathrooms)” category along with several other industry leaders.

This years award presentations will take place November 4-5 in London and many Design Hotels members have been nominated for these prestigious awards including the Carbon Hotel in Genk, Hospes Madrid, Ceres am Meer, and the Lanchid 19.

Along with the awards, an informative conference takes place that touches on all aspects relevant to hotel design and architecture. It is a must-visit for anyone interested or working in the hotel or design industry.

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Hotel Guests: Today & Tomorrow

Hotel Marketing recently released a story about the profile of the current incarnation of the “plugged-in” traveler. The statistics were not completely unsurprising, but
- Work/Life Blend: 90 percent say work overlaps with personal time; 73 percent take work home; and 46 percent admit to taking care of personal matters at work

- Multi-tasking: When working at home, they’re also watching TV (71 percent), surfing the Web (59 percent), eating (64 percent), and making calls (59 percent)

- Self-Service: 68 percent print their boarding passes before going to the airport; and 63 percent use an airport kiosk to check in

- On My Own: More than 60 percent agree that when they travel for business, they enjoy the time to themselves.

- Productivity: Half of travelers always look to maximize productivity on the road and 65 percent end up working more hours

- Comfort: 1 in 4 travelers would drive 20 miles out of their way for a hotel “dream” bed, and 62 percent are bothered when there is no place to sit and relax in the room.

- Food: Travelers are frustrated by limited choices (59 percent), availability of healthy choices (43 percent) and lack of 24/7 food access (43 percent) .

- Entertainment: Travelers resent outdated hotel entertainment systems (44 percent).

Last week, some colleagues and I traveled to Eindhoven, Holland to meet with some representatives from Philips about their recent entry into the hospitality market. I was unaware that Philips already are the industry leaders in hotel televisions commanding nearly 80% of the total market share. It was a very interesting visit as we were shown the process that both the technical members of the team and the design team go through when developing products specifically for hotels, restaurants, bars, and club; this includes lighting, ambient music, water, and what they call, “infotainment.” Unfortunately I was unable to take any photos, but I have included a few products that are particularly interesting in the design world.

Also, we heard from Modular, the daughter company of Philips specializing in design lighting fixtures. Modular works with many retailers and hospitality concepts around the world including Lamborghini and Diesel (the picture below is from Lamborghinis new $30,000,000 showroom in Las Vegas)

Jos Stuyfzand, Philips Design Director Ambient Experiences, will be speaking at Future Forum 08 about integration and technology to enhance user experiences.

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Starchitects tackle Retail

The Neil Barrett store in Minami-Aoyama designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect, Zaha Hadid, opened yesterday. The style is predictably her style, but it is refreshing to see it in such an accessible way- in a shop rather than a ski station, or a giant mega office.

It is great to see retailers invest enough in their shops to match their products.

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Mixed Use Facility: Koolhaas & Prada in Seoul

In this age of real estate development and high-rise condos, the mixed-use development have become a popular concept for combining residential buildings with retail or convention space. Courtesy of Miuccia Prada and Starchitect Rem Koolhaas, coming in the near future to South Korea we can now launch a truly mixed-use facility with their “Prada Transformer”.

Designed to accommodate different art, cinema, and fashion events, the space is transformed by rotating and flipping the structure with cranes into one of the 4 different floor configurations. The form of the Transformer is derived from a Tetrahedron and when rotated each side facilitates a different cultural program. Each of the four programs will function on unique steel framed shapes including a hexagon, a cross, a rectangle and a circle. Thus, over the course of the exposition, floors will become walls and walls will become ceiling.

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Boutique-ification of the World

First it was shops, then investment firms, then hotels, now Soccer teams?

Ian Schrager and Bill Kimpton may be given credit for the first boutique hotels; however, they may have just been involved in the beginning of a much larger global trend… the boutique world!

A “boutique”, from the French word for “shop,” originally was used to describe a small outlet, especially one that specialises in elite and fashionable items such as clothing and jewellery. The term entered into everyday English use in the late 1960’s when, for a brief period, London was the centre of the fashion trade. Carnaby Street and the Kings Road were the focus of much media attention as home to the most fashionable boutiques of the era. Today, it can also refer to a specialised firm such as a boutique investment bank, lawfirm, or hotel. The word is used to describe a property in the independent section of a (such as many of the members of Design Hotels) in order to distinguish themselves from larger chains. In such cases the idea is that the operation is elite and highly specialized.

With this notion of elitism and exclusivity in mind, notorious international playboy, Flavio Briatore (head of F1 Renault team) and Bernie Ecclestone (CEO of F1 ) recently purchased and is in the process of developing a vision of the first Boutique Soccer Club out of the existing, Queens Park Rangers (QPR). According to this months UK GQ magazine, this involves more than simply running a soccer club; Briatore will set his sights to transform the not-so-glamorous club into one with adoring pretty-young-things in the stands, spas and posh nightclubs in the stadium, and celebrity chefs catering. Rumor has it that Briatore has been seen courting players by introducing them to celebrities at clubs around London, the uniforms have been redesigned, and apparently Pete doherty has written the lyrics to the new club anthem (QPR happens to be Doherty´s team). (the photo above shows the crowd at a recent QPR match including Briatore himself, Naomi Cambell, and Tamara Beckwith)

All of this begs the question, is this right? Many outspoken critics feel that the soccer pitch is no place for celebrities, models, and delicate finger foods, but others are happy with the injection of cash into the team, and the publicity that the organization is now receiving. One complaint has been the rise in ticket prices- what used to be roughly 400 pounds for a seasons ticket, has increased dramatically into the thousands.

In the same way that Formula 1 automotive technology has dictated the majority of advancements in the car world, luxury and hotels have done the same in terms of knowledge, insight, and trends trickling down eventually falling to the masses. Could this be a role reversal? What has traditionally been a working mans sport powered by dirt, tears, and sweet, is now in the process of becoming just another outlet for luxury.

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Design Addicts of the Future

Encouraging younger generations to have an interest in design and architecture is something that we take seriously. Products and developments like this support this idea:

The “Polygon Playground” offers room for up to 40 persons at a time to walk, sit and explore its multifaceted surfaces. Gradient ramps guide to the top plateau or offer space to sit and rest. The installation features a software aided 3D surface projection system to cover the object with a seamless 360 degree projection mapping. An additional sensory system detects peoples positions and proximity.

The visual appearance of the “Polygon Playground” changes continously with the presence, movements and touches of its visitors. The object detects the positions and directions of people and reacts with evolving visual moods and graphic styles.

The hardware and software system of the “Polygon Playground” can be applied to virtually any 3D body to turn it into an interactive object.

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Berlin Exhibit: Trends in Fashion Photography

From September 20-November 15 there will be an exhibit tracing the trends and development of photography in fashion at the Camera Work Gallery in Berlin.

“This group exhibition will provide a representative overview of the development of fashion photography from its beginnings in the 1920s to the present time. With over 250 works of a total of 65 photographers – many of which are vintages – one can trace the different trends of fashion photography. The spectrum of the photographs on display ranges from the sometimes classic compositions of an Edward Steichen to the experimental photographs of Man Ray, from the sexual revolution to the resulting emancipation of women as shown, for example, by Helmut Newton, and from the cool elegance of the 1990s – influenced by Peter Lindbergh – to the highly imaginative works of Tim Walker.

There is hardly any other genre besides fashion photography that is able to capture the zeitgeist of a decade with such clarity. Moreover, it tells us in a very vivid and lucid way about the longings and dreams of the respective generations.”

This exhibit should be a great place to see how the times have really dictated the trends of photography and presenting products.

This would be a great time to come to Berlin and see the exhibit as the air is just starting to get fresh and the tourists are starting to be less and less ubiquitous around the city. I definitely recommend either The Mandala Hotel located in Potsdamerplatz just a few S bahn stops from the Camera Work Gallery, or the Lux 11 located in Mitte. Here you could definitely get a sense from the current state of photography by walking through the gallery-laden streets of Auguststrasse or Brunnenstrasse.

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The ULTIMATE consumer experience: BMW Welt

Having just returned from Munich today, among the very top of my priority list for the blog is BMW Welt- aka- the most unbelievable consumer experience in the world.

It is a multi-functional customer experience and exhibition facility of the BMW Group. In direct proximity to the BMW Headquarters, it is designed to: present the current products of BMW; be a distribution center for BMW cars; and offer an event forum and a conference center.

Designed by architects Coop Himmelb for BMW Group, the facility was constructed from August 2003 through Summer 2007. Originally conceived to be open and ready for the 2006 World Cup, it eventually opened on October 17, 2007 . Designed with an 800 KWatt solar plant on its roof, “the building does not have the boredom of a hall, it is not only a temple, but also a market place and a communication center and meeting place for knowledge transfer”, said architect Prix at the opening ceremony. BMW Welt focuses on strengthening the dialogue with customers and visitors by showing the complete range of BMW vehicles, and providing vehicle distribution, particularly the creation of a special experience with regards customer collection of an ordered vehicle. BMW Welt also offers shops with BMW auxiliary products, as well as a fully serviced gastronomic restaurant. In the meeting forum, BMW Welt offers conference rooms and the opportunity to stage media events.

On a personal note, I have to say that I have been a lifelong tepid fan of BMW; however, after having visited the BMW Welt, I can say that BMW will definitely be at the top of my list of new cars. The building itself is beautiful, the staff is extremely informative and helpful, and the exhibitions and interactive areas are addictive and educational. Not only do they build confidence and interest in the brand, but they really engage visitors and everybody I saw around me had smiles on their faces.

The features range from a build-your-own-vehicle (as your are sitting in the driver seat!), a test drive showcasing BMWs 4Wheel drive system, a fantastic bookstore featuring car, design, and architecture books, and a laundry list of other cool sights. There is even a gallery where visitors can watch customers picking up their new BMWs (talk about jealousy, although I think I heard another visitor actually applauding the owner of a new Monaco Blue X6…).

If anybody, whether they are a hotelier, restaurateur, gallerist, designer, or shop owner has intentions to create a customer experience, big or small, there are infinite lessons to be learned from BMW Welt.

After leaving Munich, I had the chance to stay a few nights at the wonderful Mavida Balance Hotel & Spa in nearby Zell am See, Austria. If anybody is looking for a truly relaxing and inspiring break, check availibility online and do not miss the friendliest staff and one of the most amazing breakfasts in any hotel.

Below is a picture of two dreamy eyed and envious visitors to the New Owner Gallery along with some other images of the building…

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