The Wildflower Hotel

The Wildflower Hotel is located at 221 Grove Rd. within Tower Hamlets Borough in London, UK. Research was conducted to create cultural and site analyses. Tower Hamlets is a culturally and ethnically diverse community and the average age of residents is 20-40 years old. This means that the culture is mature and energetic. The hotel is located in a primarily residential and working class neighborhood thus attracting off-the-beaten path travelers and visiting family. The Wildflower is a design hotel, attracting young travelers seeking a unique hotel experience.

The concept guiding the design is irreducible complexity. The inspiration for this comes from the streaked Bombardier beetle, an native insect. As a defense mechanism, the beetle shoots out a poison at its assailant. This feature is unexplained by evolutionary biologists, leaving creationists to call it an example of irreducible complexity. The hotel will embody this by being a protective fortress for the creative spirit. Stained glass will bring in dappled colored light to mingle with detailed and abstract architecture to create a sense of wonder at its construction. Visual motifs symbolizing power and movement appear at focal points in the design to represent the shapes of the acid and smoke that the bug emits. The color palette reflects that of the beetle to pay homage to its miraculous act of creation as well as to evoke a sense of luxury. Another goal of the space is to sequester back-of-house from patron space without denigrating staff by designing a balanced and intuitive spatial arrangement.