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When architecture meets client expectations

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See photos and learn more details from the renovation of Hotel Sevtopolis Medical & SPA. Despite the extremely narrow deadline for this project, the experienced team of SGI managed to finalize it on time.

6 November 2020

At the beginning of 2019, in response to the growing demands and needs of its guests, the management of Hotel Sevtopolis Medical & SPA decided to invest in the renovation of a large part of its base. They trusted the SGI team as architects with extensive experience in large-scale and international projects. Although the hotel business suffered major shocks in 2020, the project realization happened by plan and the renovated premises are already welcoming new visitors.

We present to you an interview with the project manager arch. Gergana Ivanova. Read below to find out what were the expectations that the SGI team had to meet, which goals were achieved and how the process from conceptual design to implementation took place.

What were the client’s specific requirements for the renovation of the hotel? What was the scope and objectives of the project?

G.I.: The scope of Stage 1 of the renovation included four floors with hotel rooms and suites, corridors, and maid offices. Subsequently, the client decided to trust us for Stage 2 as well, covering the buffet area and billiard area on the ground floor. The main requirement from the client was for convenient comfort and interior solutions, which contribute to the maximum relaxation of the guests. Nature was set as the heart of the project concept. The hotel is in harmony with the environment and strives to offer its customers the benefits of natural resources, presented exquisitely in a suitable setting of a four-star hotel. That is why the color palettes we used are in pastel, earthy tones that are calming the senses and to acting relaxing. The implementation period was three months, which for the scale of the renovation required a very well-developed strategy and a tight schedule.   What is the concept of the design of each of the rooms?

G.I.: The interior of the apartments follows the initial vision for a harmonious and relaxing atmosphere. In the living room area, we have set furniture and upholstery with wood and bright warm decor. Due to the larger size of the space, we decided to bring a stronger contrast and brightness in the pastel ranges with a yellow sofa and turquoise pillows. The relaxation area is much larger than in the other rooms and has a beautiful south view of the mountains. It is a niche spatially separated through an openwork wooden partition wall. For maximum acoustic comfort of visitors, the door to the bathroom of the apartment is "hidden" behind the fully formed cabinet furniture along the entire wall. The bathroom as well as the toilet of the apartment follow the design of the wet rooms in the other rooms.

For the corridors, it was very important to avoid the feeling of a cave tunnel, created by the curvature of space. The concept brought and provide a natural transition from common areas to the personal comfort zone in the rooms. For more balanced lighting in the corridors, we have provided vertical linear lighting in each revision of the rooms, providing organization and rhythm in the space. We connected every two doors of rooms through a common black frame, continuing in a plinth along the corridor. The room numbers are perforated and highlighted in the frame so that they are visible from each end of the corridor. The cladding is mainly made of natural veneer, and only the area framing the rooms is accentuated with light and distinctive cladding. In the area around the main elevator on each floor, we positioned soft seating for waiting and resting in the same warm shades.

How did you implement the specific design decisions? Did you meet any obstacles through the process?

G.I.: Apart from the harmonious interior inspired by nature, the requirements for functionality and durability were also extremely important. For the hotel rooms, we relied on PVC flooring, which has proven high hygienic and antibacterial properties. Additionally, the usage of woven threads contributes to the cozy atmosphere. The space of the room is dominated by the main volume of the bathroom, for the finish of which we used wood paneling. We combined this volume together with the high furniture for the minibar, coffee machine, and safe in a kind of passage framed by wood, which adds warmth to the space. In a natural addition to the pastel "naturalistic" picture, we opted for thick textile curtains in mint color and all the main textile furniture in ash gray fabrics. The wall behind the bed in all rooms is designed with an ergonomic memory foam textile back, which has a suitable curve for maximum comfort in a position for reading and watching TV. Each room has its own relaxation area with a soft seating area, suitable decorative lighting, and a solid wood table. The harmony of the senses is also sought in the interior design of the bathrooms. The feeling of cleanliness and space is expressed by the tiles used throughout the room. For a warm accent, we designed a copper frame around the mirror, as well as niches of the same material above the toilet. The materials used in the bathrooms and rooms meet the high standards for a four-star hotel, high durability with a guarantee for the next 5 years of operation.

The biggest challenge for us was to fit into the tight deadlines. The large scale of the renovation forced us and our customers to make decisions quickly and to think a few steps ahead. As with any project, there were peaks and troughs in the processes, but for us, the most important thing was to get a result that meets the client's expectations. We put a lot of effort and energy and we are happy to picture the final look, which is identical to the initial concept and visualizations.   What is the aftermath of the hard work? What is ahead?

G.I.: We are happy that the client trusted us with this project. We believe that the results obtained will prove its qualities over time. Our responsibility and attention to detail helped us to carry out the renovation to the smallest detail presented at the conceptual level. The positive feedback from the hotel team as well as their guests is the most realistic assessment. It proves that all our colleagues from SGI, who worked on the project have made every effort, creative spirit, and professionalism to meet the high expectations. After all, the result assures comfort and balance in the renovated spaces.

The completion of the second stage of the renovation is forthcoming. Expect soon news and photos from the redesign of the billiard and the dining area.


*Photograph: Alexandar Todorov*

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