Waldorf Astoria, Berlin
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In January, following a three-and-a-half year period of construction, the “Zoofenster” skyscraper, which has been the subject of much discussion, finally opened its doors in Berlin: the international luxury hotel chain Waldorf Astoria moved into the 118 m high tower, prominently located between the Zoo Station and the Memorial Church. The European flagship of New York’s legendary hotel takes up most of the 31 floors, which are also home to office areas and shops. The Abu Dhabi investors pooled around 200 million Euros for the new building. The architect was Christoph Mäckler, who is already famous for his “Lindencorso” (Unter den Linden) in Berlin, and the spectacular new “Opernturm” in Frankfurt. The style of his latest building in Berlin reflects a classically modern and timeless appearance with a light-coloured limestone façade.
Inside, the luxury hotel’s 182 deluxe and superior rooms, as well as the 50 suites, reflect elegance and sophisticated interior décor. The Axor Citterio collection and the two-coloured marble in the bathrooms exhibit a sense of art deco. The collection is the result of a collaboration between Axor, the designer brand of Hansgrohe SE, and the Milanese architect and designer Antonio Citterio.
Discreet luxury and lasting quality
The bathroom collection, which made its début ten years ago, represents the ultimate in design and manufacturing quality. The precision-manufactured mixer reflects both quality and consistency. It’s not at all surprising that the traditionsteeped Waldorf Astoria, whose very name is associated with timeless luxury, has opted for mixers from the Black Forest.
Indeed, in the hotel’s marble bathrooms, Axor Citterio carries on the hotel’s main theme of combining classic elegance with traditional references and modern comfort: interior décor and bathroom merge together seamlessly, while the bathroom collection imparts a sense of tranquillity and a hint of luxury in its use of water. Citterio’s finesse in combining completely smooth surfaces with curves, captures the precision and high-quality standards that are evident throughout the hotel. The manufacturing precision of the collection is consistent with the distinct dedication to high-quality detail that can be found at the Waldorf Astoria Berlin. For instance, in the Waldorf Astoria’s 1,000 square metre Guerlain Spa, lies a centrepiece pool clad in shimmering turquoise Bisazza mosaics, which is shaped like a cloud. Or in the hotel’s ballroom, which features wall lighting in the shape of a violin bow, and whose ceiling is adorned with an intricate starry sky. The fine wood and valuable materials used in the rooms also give the impression of being a guest at a classic grand hotel.
The “Romanisches Café” on the ground floor, open not only for hotel guests, is reminiscent of the legendary meeting place of the same name, whose regulars included Berlin’s artists and literati from the Weimar Republic, such as Alfred Döblin and Erich Kästner. Their portraits gaze down at the guests from a ceiling fresco. Those with an appetite for first-class cuisine will love the restaurant “Les Solistes by Pierre Gagnaire” on the floor above: the multi-Michelin star chef from France ensures that gourmets are well catered for. No doubt: those with a refined taste in architecture and interior design will find exactly what they are looking for in this new 230 million Euro building.
A building which radiates splendour
In Berlin it is believed that the wider surrounding area will also benefit from the splendour of the Waldorf Astoria Berlin and the impressive architecture of the “Zoofenster”. The City West area around the Kurfürstendamm has been experiencing a revival for some time now, with the re-development of the “Haus Cumberland” on the KuDamm and other developments around the Memorial Church. For example, there are further plans for a spectacular 120 m skyscraper, called the “Upper West”, to be established next to the “Zoofenster”. This will house another hotel, shops, offices and restaurants.
The Waldorf Astoria Berlin, located between the Zoo Station and Kurfürstendamm, is the new address for connoisseurs of luxury hotels and architectural elegance. The hotel meets the highest standards of excellence – not only with its Presidential Suite on the 31st floor of the “Zoofenster”. The focus is on timeless luxury in the bathrooms, which is also reflected by the Axor Citterio mixers.
Axor, the designer brand of Hansgrohe SE, successfully realises “Designer Visions for Your Bathroom”. In cooperation with Axor, leading product designers, architects and interior designers develop their vision for the bathroom as a living space. The Axor collections offer a great number of unique and sustainable solutions to create personalised bathrooms of the highest aesthetic and technological levels. To date, Axor collections have been created by Phoenix Design, Philippe Starck, Antonio Citterio, Jean-Marie Massaud, Patricia Urquiola as well as Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec. They all contribute towards making life in and around the bathroom a little more meaningful and beautiful. The Axor brand is headed by Philippe Grohe.
