The Hilton brand promise is to enable travelers to work, relax and enjoy the hotel through personal and enabled experience 24 hours a day, seven days a week at every hotel in their system. This is predicated on their belief that travel should be a transformative experience, allowing their guests to see and experience the local surroundings in a way that is enlightening, enabled, productive and accomplished toward their travel.

The McLean project was the first implementation of Hilton’s Project Runway, which was established to redefine the lobby experience in their hotels in a manner that reflects their guest’s needs for freedom to do what they want, when they want and how they want, while embodying their brand personality of optimism, discovery and achievement.

In addition to the lobby transformation, tvsdesign worked with Hilton to create a destination restaurant for the hotel. A new concept was developed for an upgraded three meal that was highly functional for breakfast, but sophisticated and warm in order to draw in the lunch and dinner crowd.

Gaylord Hotels approached tvsdesign to concept and design several unique and luxurious suites for their National Harbor Hotel property. These suites were uniquely positioned above the Cherry Blossom Ballroom and Wedding Pavilion overlooking the Potomac River to Alexandria. These three suites were themed with a wedding in mind.

This renovation breathes new life into the property by enhancing the function and appeal of the hotel. Upgraded finishes include stone flooring and a backlit onyx wall at registration while fixed seating areas offer respite and provide a place for guests to gather and socialize in the re-energized atrium.

This distinctly modern space redefines the hospitality dining experience. The client wanted a three meal restaurant with a sport theme. The team took the existing typical sports bar and reinterpreted the concept, removing cliché sports paraphernalia and introducing innovative design elements inspired by a passion for sports and a love for the city of Atlanta.

Custom back-lit sports themed aerial photography by Alex Mclean was used as well to reference the hotel’s airport location.  Sleek natural leathers were used on the custom banquets and furniture; light green leather was used as a subtle suggestion of a grass playing field.

The custom bar is inspired by the shape of a football and it has an acrylic radius form that houses the back bar.  The translucency of the material pulls the natural light and personality of the bar through to the restaurant seating area.   The bar top is a custom designed terrazzo with amber glass and actual beer bottles.

The reconstituted wood is a zebra veneer that has been orientated horizontally to convey a sense of movement.  The custom polished stainless steel ring fixtures in the bar area are overlapping circles that play off of an Olympic rings and pays homage to the 1996 Olympics in the City of Atlanta.

In May of 2010 the Cumberland River flooded Nashville, filling areas of the Gaylord Opryland Resort with over ten feet of water, destroying the lobby and many other parts of the hotel. Reopening was accomplished in under seven months. This brief period included programming, design and construction; the team had to develop and implement ideas very quickly, therefore the design team, owner, operator, and contractor all had to share a single vision for the project in this highly-cooperative process.

The premise for the lobby design was based the hotel’s extensive atrium gardens. The team updated the lobby’s traditional aesthetic with modern finishes, innovative lighting, and the strategic removal of columns and signage. An existing bar adjacent to the lobby was repositioned and redesigned to serve the lobby itself. Both of the restaurants in the Garden Conservatory Atrium were damaged and were replaced with three new venues: Solario for Mexican, Ravello for Italian, and The Conservatory Bar, all designed to appear as independently operated outlets.

Prior to the flooding, Gaylord intended to renovate the Magnolia wing of guestrooms as a part of their ongoing capital improvements. Since the hotel would be closed for several months, they decided to redesign and renovate these 600 guestrooms and their associated lobby as well.

Previously a Ritz-Carlton property, the new Westin Philadelphia hotel was given a complete renovation to blend the classic architectural details with the more modern Westin design aesthetic. The renovation created an updated, elegant, and luxurious interior in-line with the hotelier’s brand.

A reinvention of this 1600 key atrium hotel was achieved by reactivating the 50-story atrium with new retail, restaurants and bars while also transforming underutilized spaces into revenue producing meeting rooms and a ballroom.

For the first location of Heavenly Spa by Westin, a holistic, relaxing environment filled with natural materials evokes a sense of renewal. Using elements rooted to its location in the South Carolina low country, the spa features river rock, warm woods, plantation shutters and a glass wall embedded with dune grasses.

The 24-story International Tower was the latest addition constructed as part of the iconic, post-modern Hyatt Regency Atlanta hotel. With vista views of downtown and midtown Atlanta, these guestrooms provide a quiet separation from the main atrium lobby.

As McCormick Place expanded into the largest convention center in the country, the need for premium suites increased. The larger, Presidential Suites elude a sense of calm through the use of a fresh palette of white with neutral shades intermingled throughout the room. This is a space for retreat but also a showplace for entertaining the most important clients.

Updated public spaces and a more residential feel was created by adding more flexible seating and transforming the lobby into a gathering area for guests. Warm tones and modern light towers bring brightness and warmth to the fresh new space.

Located minutes from some of Florida’s best beaches, the renovated Renaissance Fort Lauderdale captures a tropical yet sophisticated look. The design evokes a boutique style for this world renowned brand.

The re-imagined lobby brought energy and life into the space which previously, guests walked through without stopping. The lobby lounge has a modern, yet comforting look. A communal table, open back sofas, ottomans and low cocktail tables offer conversational friendly seating options.

The Marriott Alpharetta is a 316 key hotel located in a northern suburb of Atlanta. The meeting and ballroom space was in need of renovation and tvsdesign was asked to give the hotel a fresh look. The hotel’s lobby was functional, but small and did not provide much informal meeting space for guests. The design team worked with the owner to move walls and convert underutilized space into additional pre-function space. A cozy alcove, complete with fireplace was created that provides a quiet space for guests to relax.

“Our retail design practice is a pre-eminent leader in our industry, having worked with many successful developers and experienced owners on projects in the United States, South America and China,” said Roger Neuenschwander, president of tvsdesign.  “We are using a collaborative effort, combined with tvsdesign’s almost 40 years of experience to interpret the specific vision that each of our client’s sees for these projects. We’re excited to bring our experience to these projects and are elated they are underway.”

The concept for the Tianjin’s prestigious new Cultural Center District in Tianjin, China is to create a place for living – a place where nature and culture, fashion and entertainment, social interaction and contemplation are in harmony. The core of this concept is the belief that the commercial complex should open out to embrace the cultural activities and the pedestrian flow of the grand promenade linking the Peoples Building and Tianjin’s new Zhong Hua Opera House.

Arranged along a gentle arc, a crystalline building of feature restaurants will create a focal point for the internal street and gardens.  This faceted glass building will be the sculptural icon of the Commercial Complex, and a complementary building edge for the proposed new museum buildings across the lake. Together they serve to maintain the visual prominence and importance of the Opera House.

According to Donna Childs, tvsdesign principal, the interior of The Galaxy Mall will create four distinctly unique shopping experiences with the Sun, Moon, Star and Earth Courts. Each court provides the customer with shopping and dining opportunities along with special features such as a stage for performances in the Star court. The 2,000,000 square-foot, project is scheduled to be completed in 2012.

The North Country Mall in Mohali Punjab, India is a 1,000,000 square-foot mixed-use retail prototype and the first of an aggressive rollout plan for India for US developer Gumberg.   Based on the demands of the market in each location, the prototype will have the ability to combine hotel, service apartments and office towers with a multi-level shopping destination. The design of the prototype developed for the North Country Mall takes its inspiration from a resort experience infused with thoughtful design and quality. An immersive shopping environment is the goal of the mall.  A harmonic flow of nature and structure combined with an atmosphere of warmth and comfort are crucial to the concept. Variety of materials, spaces and textures create a sense of discovery. The highest standards of craftsmanship, merchandise and tenant presentation are imperative to conveying to the shopper, “We were expecting you and are glad you are here.” The project is scheduled to be completed in 2012.

In Dalian, China, tvsdesign is creating The Red Star Coastal Area Community Project, which will add approximately 550,000 square feet of retail and luxury residences to the community.   “tvsdesign created the master plan for the community and have worked on multiple projects during the last few years,” said Neuenschwander.  “We look forward to being a part of the ground breaking ceremony of this phase of the project in late Sept. of this year.”

Soaring sculpture and curving forms will combine to create a sculptural icon for this leisure and entertainment destination within the high end residential community of Dalian. Dramatic glass pavilions will be used to define a series of outdoor rooms. Providing shade by day and glowing lanterns by night, the pavilion structures will be easily recognized and appreciated as an icon both from a distance and by the visitor as focal points to the entertainment promenade. The roof will be used to create a “fifth façade” for the project. With winding paths, green gardens and dining terraces, the community will be invited to interact with the building. Sculpted landscaped forms will create a green oasis in the middle of the dense high-rise community that will be appreciated for its natural beauty when seen from above and for the dynamic garden experience it provides the visitor. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2012.

In addition to the projects in Tianjin, Dalian and Punjab, tvsdesign will begin work in other areas of China, India, and Latin America and in the United States.

tvsdesign is a global design firm whose award-winning solutions reflect more than 40 years of experience in planning, architecture and interior design.  With offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Dubai and Shanghai, the firm’s passion for design excellence, sustainability and collaboration produce client-driven results.   tvsdesign is recognized for its work including convention and public assembly, cultural arts, retail, office, education, government, hospitality and mixed-use design.  tvsdesign’s sustainable design experience encompasses almost 22 LEED Certified and 18 LEED registered projects. tvsdesign has garnered the prestigious American Institute of Architects Firm Award in 2002.   www.tvsdesign.com

ATLANTA and PUNJAB, INDIA – Aug. 12, 2010 – tvsdesign, a global design firm, has won the assignment to design North Country Mall, which will be the largest mall in north India. Located in the tri-city of Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula, the North Country Mall will become the dominant retail destination for the entire state of Punjab. With a million square feet of retail area, the center will include four department stores, over 250 shops, a 100,000 square- foot hypermarket and a huge dining and entertainment complex, anchored by a multiscreen cinema and an iconic Imax theatre.

North Country Mall is the flagship project of Gumberg- India, a subsidiary of J J Gumberg, one of the largest privately held retail developers in the US. As the first in a planned 30 center, $5 billion USD investment strategy, Gumberg has entrusted tvsdesign with creating a design to attract India’s newly affluent middle class and a brand identity that would give Gumberg-India immediate market differentiation.

“It all started with a focus on the customer experience.” says Mark Carter, tvsdesign’s principal. “When you looked at most of the centers that had been built in India, you saw a real lack of quality and sophistication. This was true not only from a planning and design standpoint but also from an operational standpoint. There seemed to be a lack of expertise on both sides of the equation. While the concept of a mall was new, the shopping experience wasn’t new or compelling.”

Gumberg, with nearly 85 years of experience, saw this void as the opportunity for their success. “Gumberg’s approach was very clear,” said Carter. “The company wanted to combine world- class design with their proven expertise in development, leasing and management. It was a very simple but powerful formula.”

The design solution began with a more forward- looking mixed use approach to its planning. Gumberg’s retail program was organized into vertically stacked destination districts for Value, Fashion and Entertainment. While the fundamental plan structure of circulation and interior courts will set the roadmap for each of the future centers, there is flexibility to include the potential uses of hotel, office and service apartments as market conditions evolve.

All aspects of the design were approached with a hospitality mindset. As Carter explained, “this was a conscious shift in thinking that kept the tvsdesign team focused on the ‘guest experience’.” Throughout the process, from choreographing the arrival sequence, sculpting the spatial volumes and selecting the materials and finishes, the emphasis was on creating quality, refinement and delight.”

With construction on schedule for a December 2012 opening, Gumberg-India’s managing director and CEO, B. Anantharaman is confident of dramatic results. “We hope to change the retail paradigm in India for decades to come.”

tvsdesign has gained an international reputation for its work in signature retail and convention centers. In China, for instance, tvsdesign recently won projects for the Dalian Red Star Community and Galaxy Mall in Tianjin. In addition, tvsdesign has designed six convention centers including the recently completed Tianjin Meijiang Convention Center, the site of the recent DAVOS World Economic Forum in last year. tvsdesign’s award-winning work can also be seen in Santiago, Chile, Dubai, as well as throughout the United States. To date, tvsdesign has designed more than 150 million square feet of retail space.