Ingo Maurer GmbH

Ingo Maurer designs new Radisson Collection Hotel (5 *) in 200 years old winery Tsinandali, Georgia

Munich, July xx, 2019 | Client George Ramishvili, Chairman of the Silk Road Group, commissioned Ingo Maurer with the artistic direction of the new Radisson Collection Hotel Tsinandali in Georgia. The hotel was integrated into a 200-year-old winery. Ingo Maurer's responsibilities included the extensive redesign of the 4,000 square metre historic complex, which includes the public areas of the hotel. This contains the conception of the outdoor area with the inner courtyard as well as the complete interior architectural planning within the historical complex.

Ingo Maurer was already enthusiastic about the task when he first visited the historic ruin: "The beautiful ruins in good condition fascinated me at first sight. Transforming this magical place into a resort of the highest standard was wonderful but also challenging. The place has a very strong aura and the respect for the ruins came first".

Tradition and modernity combined in a historic winery
The new Radisson Collection Hotel (5*) is located in a former winery in Tsinandali, a district of Telavi, Georgia. The Tsinandali winery was founded in 1886. A common Parisian friend, Yves Marbrier, introduced Ingo Maurer to the owner in 2014. Architect Damian Figueras was responsible for the conception and implementation of the new hotel area, including hotel rooms and suites. Ingo Maurer's artistic direction included the conception of the interior and exterior areas, layout planning, interior architecture, lighting design and planning, detail planning, design of light objects and furniture. In total, Ingo Maurer and his team created concepts for 13 areas as well as the inner courtyard with an open staircase and a water fountain. Ingo Maurer was inspired by the Georgian tradition of craftsmanship. Among other things, the team was inspired by Georgian carpets, which not only decorate the floor, but are also draped over pieces of furniture. An interpretation of this tradition are the "tikkas" designed by Ingo Maurer, benches with upholstery made of original Georgian colored patterned carpets and kilims up to 200 years old.

Magical moments of design from past and present
An artistic highlight created by Ingo Maurer can be found in the restaurant of the hotel. Inspired by the cave paintings of Lascaux, he shaped his own design for a ceiling fresco. The Atelier de Fac-Similés du Périgord, which has already made some stunning replicas of the Lascaux cave, was commissioned with the implementation on site. In the main entrance, the so-called Passageway, there are two long metal tables with large white marble tops and a wooden wine bottle display for wine presentation. Ingo Maurer's attention to detail is reflected not least in the lighting. Three tin figures drawn by Ingo Maurer run on the steel beam on which eight large copper lamps with a diameter of two meters hang: A woman with a wine bottle and a pistol, followed by a man and a dog stimulate the viewer's imagination. Ingo Maurer created three large aluminum rings to illuminate the ballroom, which is also used for festive concerts. Numerous large bulbs are attached to them. These are illuminated by LEDs installed in the rings.

Some unique design elements assemble in the inner courtyard of the estate. The floor is covered with large, bright travertine plates Inspired by Roman pattern. In the middle of the square - visible from many rooms - is the sculptural fountain "Spitting heads". Controlled by invisible kinetics, two sketchy heads incline forward and backward, snorting each other for a brief moment with a targeted jet of water. The heads are made of massive ten centimeter thick aluminum. Another eye-catcher is the facade of the Ballroom. It was covered with an random pattern of bricks. The wide leap of individual crosswise bricks offers a shadow play during the course of the day: different angles of the position of the sun create various textures.

Inspiration for new luminaires
Not only numerous well-known Ingo Maurer lights adorn the hotel, also many new objects were created for the hotel. These include golden floor lamps for the Golden Room, bottle chandeliers for the lounge and the new "Butterflies Dreaming", an oversized bulb with a diameter of 60 cm, which is wooed by 20 high-quality replicas of insects and butterflies. Also unique are the three "Glowing Wings" in the VIP Dinner Room, which are a reminiscence to gliders.