A visit to the Raffles Europejski Warsaw hotel can resemble a trip back in time. The classics of 19th century architecture meet here with outstanding art and modern design. From the very entrance to the lobby, you can see that the hotel was not built just to provide guests with a good night's sleep and comfort. Every, even inconspicuous detail of the fascinating interiors tells its own extraordinary story. At 13 Krakowskie Przedmieście Street, the architects and brand ambassadors of Kontakt-Simon had the opportunity to experience this in person, during a meeting combining the inauguration of the international Living Places Simon Architecture competition with exploring the space of one of the most elegant addresses in the capital.
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Heritage and contemporary architecture
The history of the European Hotel, which once operated here, dates back to the 19th century. Designed by Henryk Marconi and opened in 1857, it has always been a meeting place for Warsaw's intelligentsia and artists. Jozef Chelmonski and Stanislaw Witkiewicz, for example, frequented it. Today, after revitalization, the hotel is already operating under the global brand Raffles Hotels & Resorts. The stunning interiors were designed by one of the most important Polish architectural studios - WWAA, together with the current Director of the Grand Theater - National Opera - architect Borys Kudlička, and the team of APA Wojciechowski and Lázaro Rosa-Violán Studio. Among other things, the WWAA studio became famous for the design of the Polish Pavilion, which was presented in Shanghai during the 2010 International Expo. In turn, the SUD Architectes studio was responsible for the overall design of the building's redevelopment.
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Inspiration in every detail
Visitors to Kontakt-Simon began the day with morning facial yoga led by Marta Sawicka. They then took part in a talk on media cooperation led by Olga Kisiel-Konopka of OKK! PR, an on-camera speaking session with TVN journalist Katarzyna Jaroszyńska, and a meeting with WZ Studio, which showed how a social media presence can enhance a project narrative. The most anticipated part of the day was a guided tour of the hotel, led by Lukasz Godlewski, Art Collection Manager of Raffles.
Raffles houses some 500 objects of 20th and 21st century art, making the collection one of the largest private collections available to the public in Poland. Paintings, photographs, posters, sculptures and installations by many prominent artists are not just a decorative backdrop here, but a conscious component of experiencing the space. The first work to attract attention was a glass sculpture by Dorota Buczkowska. The Kontakt-Simon ambassadors also admired the steel form TAJDO by Oskar Zięta in the lobby and the light installation "Borders" by Włodzimierz Jan Zakrzewski. The walk continued with works by Leon Tarasewicz and Wilhelm Sasnal, and as they passed through successive corridors, the architects discovered hidden details - the mosaic "Kidnapping of Europe" by Krystyna Kozłowska or the collection of porcelain and glass from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, which evokes the spirit of Warsaw's past decades. Anda Rottenberg, a curator and critic of contemporary art, and Barbara Piwowarska, an experienced expert in private collections, supervised the creation of this collection. The works they selected penetrate into the everyday spaces of the hotel and allow one to feel that being close to art accompanies the hotel's guests on a daily basis.
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A space of experience
During the walk, the architects also had the opportunity to look into the Royal Suite, the historic Pompeian Room of the former European Hotel, and the intimate Humidor; a whiskey and cigar lounge where discreet elegance created a great atmosphere for conversation. It was this kind of luxury, balanced and fully considered, that showed why international guests are so eager to return to Raffles.
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For the Kontakt-Simon brand ambassadors, the meeting became an inspiration to reflect on space and detail; elements that are of great importance in design work. This experience shows that luxury is not just about material form. Equally important is the way architecture, art and modern technology work together to create a space that engages all the senses.
