Designing with Soul: My Contribution to the Radisson Hotel in Amsterdam

 

Every design project carries a story. But some stories are more than concepts or sketches — they become living, breathing places where people gather, connect, and feel.

My work  for the Radisson hotel and restaurant in Amsterdam was exactly that: a meeting point between architecture, emotion, culture, and storytelling.

The project was featured internationally on Hotel Business, acknowledging the Radisson brand’s global expansion and the creative forces behind it — including my contribution as interior architect and design consultant.

You can read the full article here:
Hotel Business – Hyatt, Radisson and Marriott brands make international debuts
👉 https://hotelbusiness.com/hyatt-radisson-and-marriott-brands-make-international-debuts

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Designing the First Natural Art Hotel Amsterdam

Where Nature, Energy & Hospitality Meet :) 

Some projects are not just design assignments — they become living stories.
The First Natural Art Hotel - Radisson Amsterdam (formerly the Ammonite hotel ) was exactly that: a transformation where hospitality, nature, and energy came together
to create a space that feels truly alive.

This hotel is filled with real fossils, minerals, and crystals : not as decoration,
but as living artifacts carrying millions of years of Earth history.
Both I and the developers shared a deep belief in this concept:

A hotel is not only about how it looks —
it is about how it feels.
Energetically, emotionally, humanly.

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A New Vision for Hospitality

When I stepped into this project, my intention was clear:

A hotel should be a temporary home, an atmosphere, a sensory experience.
And a restaurant should be more than a place to eat —
it should allow guests to taste the identity of the Hotel.

My role was to help shape the storytelling of the entire spatial experience:
the mood, the materiality, the layering, the lighting,
and the emotional flow of the restaurant and communal areas.

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Where the Concept Began — Nature as the First Artist

The deeper story of this hotel comes from one powerful idea:

Nature is the first and greatest artist.

Before architecture existed,
the Earth had already sculpted fossils, crystals, and mineral structures
over millions of years.
Each piece holds frequency, grounding power, and ancient wisdom.

Bringing these elements into the hotel meant:

• honoring nature as a storyteller

• allowing the space to influence the nervous system

• turning the hotel into a living museum of Earth history

Guests don’t just see the space —
they feel it.

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My Design Approach — Spaces Must Feel Alive

My guiding design principle has always been simple:

Spaces must feel alive.

They influence behavior.
They shift your energy.
They reveal something about who you are
and about the world you move through.

For this project, this meant:

• designing spaces people feel, not just see

• integrating soft curves with minimal structure

• elevating craftsmanship

• blending hospitality with comfort

• creating a restaurant where people naturally want to stay longer

Every element — from textures that invite touch
to the placement of seating and lighting —
was carefully considered to create safety, depth, and presence.

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A Global Brand, A Human Touch

I wanted to bring softness into structure,
to merge global identity with local soul,
and to ensure every guest felt the grounding quality of the natural materials.

This balance is what gives the Amsterdam location its unique character:
international yet intimate, modern yet warm, polished yet alive.

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A Reflection of My Beliefs

This project expresses everything I stand for as a designer:

Design should honor people.
Spaces should breathe.
Materials should tell stories.
And architecture should bring us back to ourselves.

Whether I design:

• high-end hospitality

• remote eco-villages

• my Land Cruiser home

• or restaurants in Amsterdam

— I always design from the heart, guided by nature, culture, and human experience.

The First Natural Art Hotel Amsterdam is a reminder that every space —
big or small, luxurious or modest —
can become meaningful
when created with intention, awareness, and devotion to beauty.

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Partners & References

Property / Developers / Hotel

Ammonite hotel - Amsterdam 

Radisson Hotel Group
https://www.radissonhotels.com

https://www.radissonhotels.com/en-us/hotels/radisson-hotel-and-suites-amsterdam-south?cid=a:se+b:gmb+c:emea+i:local+e:rad+d:cese+h:NLAMSSTH

Full article:
👉 https://hotelbusiness.com/hyatt-radisson-and-marriott-brands-make-international-debuts

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