The World of Hospitality Issue 15 2016 | Page 70

70 Seamarq Hotel the World Of Hospitality Seamarq Hotel The Hotel Tower is anchored to the summit plateau and located very close to the ocean as if it was emerging from the ground. In contrast, the Banquet Hall is located at a lower plateau connected by a bridge, both buildings integrated into the landscape. A rich sequence of spaces unfolds as a procession begins from the approach on the main road along Gyeongpo Lake, passing through the entry court and gate to the hotel entrance plaza that is marked by the local vegetation. The ascending road to the hotel flows gently around the natural terrain through the pine forest offering glimpses and framed views of the Gyeongpo Canal and the Hotel. The sequence of outdoor spaces and landscape design concepts were developed in collaboration with James Corner Field Operations and a local landscape consultant. Richard Meier comments: “With this hotel we aspire to create something new and innovative. The principles that guide the work in our office are rooted in timeless, classical design issues such as the Context, the Site, and the use of Natural Light. In my work I seek to find through design the best of what exists and what can be. My purpose is to deliver thoughtful, original modern architecture that is as accessible as it is beautiful, as humanist as it is disciplined. This is an architecture which is concerned with the individual as well as the community at large. Our primary goal for the Seamarq Hotel has been to create a strong sense of place by enhancing and transforming the existing site in a dramatic way. Many of the cues for the design came from the site--its light, its landscape, its topography. Perhaps the most important initial decision was to work with the configuration of the land and to design the hotel complex in relation to the existing topography.” Dukho Yeon, Design Partner-in-charge, comments: “This is an especially important project to me