Literal architecture is generally far from elegant. What with all the carpet museums shaped exactly like carpets, and office buildings reminiscent of watermelons, the effect is usually kind of neat, but it often fails the beauty test. The Dutch firm of NL Architects hopes to change the game. They recently released renderings of a downright dazzling, if kinda gimmicky, idea for a chain called the Amethyst Hotel. Each hotel will look like a sliced block of amethyst, complete with a shimmering, jagged purple façade, and a towering, cathedral-like shape. The gem hotels are currently being discussed for locations on an artificial island in China (clearly the architects are refusing to heed the Chinese president's request to end the country's rep for 'weird architecture'), and in Dubai (no surprise there).
Why an amethyst, you ask? Well, the architect's website notes a "large number of miraculous powers attributed to amethyst," including (but surely not limited to) "purifying any space of negative vibrations," cooling "excessive emotions," preventing nightmares, and the ability to "drive out evil spirits and inspire the intellect." Geodes: probably the next hospitality frontier. Take a look, below:
All renderings courtesy of NL Architects
· Will This Gem of a Hotel Come to Dubai [The National]
· This May Be the Craziest Building Ever. Seriously. [Architizer]
· All NL Architects coverage [Curbed National]
· All Lookalikes posts [Curbed National]
· All Rendering Reveals posts [Curbed National]
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