'Hotel Lobbies and Lounges' The

Architecture of professional
hospitality
Tom Avermaete and Anne Massey
Tom Avermaete

an associate professor of architecture at the Delft University

of Technology. His interests are orientated in the post-war public
and the architecture of the city in Western and non-Western
contexts. He is an author and an editor of a couple journals and
books, and also an initiator of some exhibitions. (Tom
Avermaete / persons / the Berlage, 2010); (Avermaete, Tom -
CIAMX, no date)
Anne Massey

is Professor of Design and Culture, Associate Dean of Research and Head

of the Graduate School at LCC and also a curator and writer who looks at
the spaces between art and design. She also was a Director of Research in
the School of Art & Design at Middlesex University before joining the
LCC. She has written different books and journals about Interiors,
Design, Architecture, Culture and more. She also has lectured in different
museums, galleries, universities in the Italy, Holland, UK, France, USA
and curated some exhibitions. Her interests are orientated in the
Design, Architecture, pop-art, culture and historiography.
(Team, 2016); (People, 2016)
TEXT STRUCTURE
The text is organized as a comparison between the functional and the
emotional contexts
In his essay about the functionality of the hotel lobby, the author’s thoughts are fluctuating between the different functions
of the various design elements contained in the microcosm of the lobby - revolving doors, lobby hall, reception desk, stairs
and elevators.

It is interesting to read how the interior while it might have a very clear concept - e.g. for the revolving door to be made in
such a way so it contains the climate of the interior without obstructing the flow of people visiting the establishment, while
at the same time that same element has a much deeper significance in the subconscious perception of the hotel guests.With
that point of view, the author dissects and analyze every aspect of the hotel lobby and the customer journey through the
different stages - from entering the hotel, registering and all the way to entering their room.
REVOLVING DOORS
Revolving doors: The connecting points between the exterior and interior, the man-made and the natural, outside and
inside.

Practical element: easy flow of the people entering and leaving the hotel lobby without letting the outside elements
(weather, wind, snow, dust, etc.) enter the building

Spiritual: It separates and connects at the same time, there to isolate the outside, but can be moved/opened. It is neither a
bridge or a door, and both at the same time
LOBBY HALL
Lobby hall: The spacious places when you enter the hotel that should make you feel comfortable and at home, the place to rest and
socialise.

Practical: Made big, social and interesting. Before the 19th century only the most expensive hotels could afford it.

Spiritual: Due to it’s lack of character, people that enter the space, the temporary visitors, don’t wish to communicate and they bury their
faces in newspapers, they become faceless mannequins
RECEPTION DESK
Reception desk: rite de passage when entering the hotel, the main location for acquiring your keys, mail etc.

Practical: The length of the desk reflects the number of rooms, the height of the desk is there to help you fill in your
documents easily, there is place to put your bag, everything is design around the guest to make it easier and practical, while
at the same time the reception desk remains the main focal point

Spiritual: The reception desk is a policing agent, you HAVE to go through it to get your keys, then you are permitted to
enter. When leaving it is the place to leave your keys. It’s there to keep out any undesirable people outside of the hotel.

Rite de passage - a ceremony to facilitate or mark a person's change of status on a significant occasion, as at the onset of puberty or upon entry
into a select group
STAIRS AND ELEVATORS
Stairs and elevators: the path to your room - before the invention of the elevator the upper rooms were cheaper due to the
fact that you have to carry your luggage higher

Practical: Elevators and stairs are designed in such a way to create an ease of movement and create a smoother flow of
people, leading them to the place where they need to be. The guests to their rooms via the main stairs and elevators, and the
personnel to their workstations

Spiritual: every floor looks like the previous one, “the sixth floor looks like the fifth”, you pass all the doors that look the
same as yours, with people enclosed inside, like the monks in a monastery meditating, you are alone and in a group, in
private and at the same time in public
BRIDGES AND DOORS
The most intriguing part for me is the comparison between the revolving doors and bridges. According to the author of the
essay, these two connecting objects have a very similar function.

They are made to connect two opposite sides - for the bridge that’s the two opposite banks of the river for instance, and for
the revolving door these are the inside and outside. In that, their purpose bears the similarity of connection and transition
but the similarity ends there. This is because the bridge lacks the clear aim based on which direction the person is going on
the bridge. Meanwhile, based on what the visitor of a hotel is doing, either leaving or arriving, the function and
subconscious purpose of the revolving door changes.

As my main project for the course in MA Design (Interior and Architecture) is boiling down to two main subject - Bridges
and Augmented Reality, this is really interesting because I want to change how people interact and use bridges and to create
a more involving environment for the person walking on the bridge. Like mentioned earlier the revolving doors, and bridges
have the similarity in connectivity but have that moment of divergence, I can analyze these little differences and apply
methods to improve on the design of my future design.
REFERENCES:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYMfEKELveQ
Avermaete, T. and Massey, A. (2014) Hotel lobbies and lounges: The architecture of professional hospitality. Available at: http://books.bk.tudelft.nl/index.php/press/catalog/book/130 (Accessed: 20 November 2016).; Tom Avermaete / persons /
the Berlage (2010) Available at: http://www.theberlage.nl/persons/tom_avermaete (Accessed: 20 November 2016).; Avermaete, Tom - CIAMX (no date) Available at: http://www.ciamxdubrovnik.com/participants/avermaete-tom/ (Accessed: 20
November 2016).; Team, W. (2016) Professor Anne Massey. Available at: http://www.arts.ac.uk/research/ual-staff-researchers/a-z/professor-anne-massey/ (Accessed: 20 November 2016).; People (2016) ADRI. Available at:
http://adri.mdx.ac.uk.contentcurator.net/massey-prof-anne (Accessed: 20 November 2016).

(No Date) Available at: http://www.slate.com/content/dam/slate/blogs/the_eye/2013/11/07/131107_EYE_revolvingDoor.jpg.CROP.original-original.jpg (Accessed: 21 November 2016).; (No Date) Available at: https://encrypted-
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(No Date) Available at: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/53/8d/e6/538de614c960dd969e5f30a722acb797.jpg (Accessed: 21 November 2016).; (No Date) Available at:
https://cache.carlsonhotels.com/galleries/radblu/photos/webextra/chnsghai/maingallery/lobby-of-the-Radisson-Blu-Plaza-Shanghai-Hotel.jpg (Accessed: 21 November 2016).; (No Date) Available at:
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/1rFkS_PUoqM/maxresdefault.jpg (Accessed: 21 November 2016); (No Date) Available at: https://img.styla.com/resizer/sfh_760x0/best-hotel-lobby-top-ten-designs_46446_74875.jpeg (Accessed: 21 November 2016).; (No
Date) Available at: http://cdn.freshome.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/luxury-hotel-lobby.jpg (Accessed: 21 November 2016).