Italian interiors architect Piero Lissoni is the star here. He has transformed the weighty 19th-century building (once a bank, and for many years the Sweelinck music conservatory) into an uplifting expanse of contemporary design. Wall tiles, stained glass and many other features of the original structureremain intact, but it is Lissoni's trademark clean lines, muted fabrics and cheeky flashes of colour that set the tone.
Welcome to wonderland. Dutch designer Marcel Wanders has taken the adventures of Lewis Carroll's Alice as the inspiration for the hotel's interiors. Imaginative touches include chandeliers suspended from oversized bells in reception, high-backed chairs reminiscent of tulip heads and an entranceway lined with miniature doors. Nods to this being a hotel in Holland include notes of Delft blue in the carpets and wallpaper, clogs on the walls and a red-light area (complete with mattress-inspired wallpaper) en route to the spa.
The concept is simple, along the lines of the capsule-hotels that first appeared in Japan: all you need is somewhere to sleep with a bathroom; the rest is automated. You book online, and check in via computer. The difference at citizenM is that the concept is carried out with some degree of style, such as a lounge area dotted with designer furniture.
New-Dutch design, fit to grace the pages of the hippest interiors glossies, is the draw here. A giant lobby/lounge/bar area is all clean lines and muted colours, with the odd eyebrow-raiser (cowhide wall tiles). A circular fireplace and half-moon sofa give a clue to V's real attraction - the buzz. This is a place to hang out, meet other visitors, find out what's hot and happening.
French interiors architect Sybille de Margerie has worked magic to soften the monumental interior with warm colours and witty design touches. Rooms are done in natural tones, but with adventurous (though far from vulgar) shades of plum and touches of orange.
