The LIV Hospitality Design Awards is another important recognition for the ibis Styles Katowice Airport hotel. The project previously won an award in the Internet users' vote in the Hotel with an Idea 2025 competition, and also made it to the final round of the Property Design Awards.
© AKA Studio
Storytelling in hotel design is not based on literalness, but on a subtly juxtaposed composition of many elements. This narrative is created by the context of the place, materials, details, light, art, music and even the smell of the space.
We wanted the interiors of a hotel near the airport to be not just an aesthetic backdrop, but to guide the guest through a coherent story built around the theme of space travel and freedom. Today, guests are looking for more than just comfort in hotels, but also an experience that stays in the memory. In this case, the stay is meant to be a pleasantly surprising one, the beginning of a journey or a natural extension of it," comments Agata Łapuchowska, co-owner of AKA Studio.
The project resulted from the modernization of the existing building, which was originally a barracks. It included a major reconstruction of the hotel's functional layout, primarily the entrance area, reception area and restaurant, which today seamlessly intermingle. New conference rooms and a gym were also designed. A new hotel wing with rooms designed by AKA Studio was built behind the conference area. As a result, the standard of the entire facility has been significantly raised.
© AKA Studio
The hotel industry today needs such well-thought-out transformations, as they are the ones that make it possible to give places a new quality, improve their functionality and better respond to guests' changing expectations. A well-executed modernization increases the attractiveness of a facility, strengthens its competitiveness, attracts new guests, allows to raise room rates and better positions the hotel in the market," adds Karolina Kowalik, co-owner of AKA Studio.
As Przemek Maksym, Design Leader at AKA Studio, emphasizes: - We are pleased that another modernization by AKA Studio has been recognized in the LIV Hospitality Design Awards. This shows that a thoughtful and consistently guided design narrative, combined with a well-executed modernization, can give an existing facility a distinct identity and make it stand out in the market.
© AKA Studio
The LIV Hospitality Design Awards competition recognizes the most interesting architectural and interior design projects in the hotel sector worldwide. Award-winning projects are selected by an international jury of hospitality industry experts. www.studioaka.pl
Project metrics
Investor and developer: DeSilva
Hospitality partner: Accor
Hotel brand: Ibis Styles
Location: Wojciech Korfanty Katowice International Airport in Pyrzowice
Area: 2830 m²
Completion: 2025
AKA Studio design team:
Agata Łapuchowska
Karolina Kowalik
Przemysław Maksym
Michalina Musielak Paś
Alicja Majszak
Magdalena Chrzanowska
