Buildings in this section are shaped by what was already on the site
Art Hotels · 6
Six hotels where the building itself is part of what is on show. We look at how each one sits on its site and what was done with the structure that was already there. A hotel is in this section because of the way it is built and arranged, not because of a collection hanging in the lobby, and not because of anything on offer inside.
DENSITY
01
The Standard, High Line
New York, USA
In a sentence A hotel on legs that steps over a public park built on an old railway
The condition
The site sits in the Meatpacking District, where the High Line runs above the street on a disused freight viaduct. The park is public and could not be built over at ground level. Around it stand low brick warehouses, traffic on Washington Street, and a block plan that leaves little open land.
The answer
The tower stands on concrete legs and passes over the raised park, so the walkway continues underneath it. The mass is lifted clear of the viaduct and turned so the long faces look north and south along the island. Glass runs floor to ceiling on those faces, and the ground under the building stays open to the street.
The building carried on legs above the raised park
What you see of it
From the park you walk under the building and out again, with the legs on either side of the path. From a room, the window is the whole wall, and the city is directly below rather than in the distance.
One more thingRooms face the street and the park on several sides, so ask about the outlook and the curtains when you arrange the room.
Looked at · September 2026
A SHELL THAT STAYS
02
The Waterhouse at South Bund
Shanghai, China
In a sentence A 1930s headquarters on the Huangpu waterfront kept as concrete and filled with new steel rooms
The condition
A headquarters of the 1930s stands on the South Bund, facing the Huangpu River. Its concrete frame and outer walls were to remain, marks and patches included. Nothing about the shell could be widened or straightened, and the openings sat where the original plan had put them.
The answer
New work was added in Corten steel, so the insertions read as a later layer against the old concrete. Rooms were fitted inside the existing frame, and windows were cut through the shell to face the river and the internal courtyard. A roof terrace was added above, and the weathered outer surface was left as it was found.
The kept concrete facade with later steel insertions
What you see of it
The street front looks like an old industrial block, and the rust-coloured steel only shows once you are close. Inside, corridors follow the old structure rather than a straight line, and some windows look into the courtyard instead of out.
One more thingSome windows face the internal courtyard rather than the river, so ask which side your room is on when you arrange it.
Looked at · September 2026
ROCK & SLOPE
03
Alila Villas Uluwatu
Bali, Indonesia
In a sentence Low buildings set along the edge of a limestone cliff above the Indian Ocean
The condition
The plateau at Uluwatu ends in limestone cliffs that drop straight to the Indian Ocean. The ground is dry, the vegetation is low and salt-bitten, and the wind comes off the water without anything to slow it. Building close to that edge means working with rock rather than soil.
The answer
The buildings are kept low and spread along the cliff line instead of stacked into one block. Flat roofs and long horizontal eaves shade the rooms, and local stone and timber carry the walls. Villas step down the slope with their own pools, and the main pavilions are turned so the open sides take the ocean and the prevailing wind.
Flat-roofed pavilions along the cliff edge
What you see of it
Paths run level along the ridge, then drop in short flights of steps between villas. The ground gives out at the edge of the site, and the sea is far below rather than at hand.
One more thingThe site is spread out and stepped, so ask about transport around the grounds if stairs and distance are a concern.
Looked at · September 2026
ROCK & SLOPE
04
ION Adventure Hotel
Nesjavellir, Iceland
In a sentence A long wing raised on concrete legs above a lava field near a geothermal plant
The condition
Nesjavellir lies on a slope of old lava, crusted and uneven, beside a geothermal power station and above Lake Thingvallavatn. Ground here cannot be levelled without breaking it up. Snow drifts across the open hillside in winter, and there is no shelter from wind on any side of the site.
The answer
The main wing is carried on concrete legs, so the lava passes beneath it instead of being cleared away. The building is set as a long low bar across the slope, and one end cantilevers out over the drop. Glazing runs along the valley side, and the older structure on the site was kept and joined to the new wing.
The long wing held on legs above the lava field
What you see of it
From the road the building reads as one dark line held above broken ground. Up close you can see the lava under the legs. Inside, the long window turns the valley into a single wide view.
One more thingThe hotel stands well outside Reykjavik on a mountain road, so plan the drive out and the drive back in daylight.
Looked at · September 2026
A SHELL THAT STAYS
05
The Fife Arms
Braemar, Scotland
In a sentence A Victorian coaching inn in a Highland village, kept in its old plan and refitted inside
The condition
The building is a Victorian inn on the main street of Braemar, in the Cairngorms. Its granite front, roofline and room plan belong to the nineteenth century and were to stay. Braemar sits high in the hills, and winters there are long, which the original builders answered with thick walls and small openings.
The answer
The work stayed inside the existing walls. Rooms follow the old divisions rather than a new grid, so they differ in size and shape from floor to floor. Fireplaces, staircases and panelling were repaired and kept in use, and the interiors were then filled with commissioned and collected art. The granite exterior was cleaned but not altered.
The granite street front in the village
What you see of it
From the street it is still the village inn, low and grey against the hills. Inside the corridors bend, the ceilings change height between rooms, and the art hangs on walls that were never planned for it.
One more thingRooms differ in size and layout because the old plan was kept, so describe what you need when you enquire.
Looked at · September 2026
DENSITY
06
Michelberger Hotel
Berlin, Germany
In a sentence Former factory blocks around a narrow courtyard beside the raised railway line in Friedrichshain
The condition
Warschauer Strasse carries trains on a viaduct, and the site behind it is a set of old factory buildings packed around a narrow yard. There is no garden and no set-back from the street. The blocks face each other across a few metres, and the city presses on every side of the plot.
The answer
The yard was made the centre of the hotel instead of a leftover gap. Old industrial buildings were kept and reused, with the bar, restaurant and circulation opening onto the courtyard so the small space carries most of the traffic. Rooms vary in size because the existing floors were not rebuilt, and the courtyard is planted and used as an outdoor room.
The planted courtyard between the old factory blocks
What you see of it
You come in from a busy street and the noise drops as soon as you are in the yard. Windows on all sides look across at each other, and the trains pass close enough to be part of the place.
One more thingThe railway viaduct runs beside the building, so ask for a courtyard-facing room if sound matters to you.
Looked at · September 2026
A condition is our shorthand for the circumstances a building had to work with, taken from published sources and written in our own words. It is not a category anyone applied for, not a difficulty score, and not a promise about a stay. The month under an entry is when we last checked those sources.
