Locally based interior design and architecture firm JOI-Design has created 41 apartments for the recently opened Hapimag Resort in Hamburg. Inspired by the historic brick warehouses on the Alster River canals, as well as Hamburg’s history as a center of maritime trade in Northern Europe, the aesthetic of the apartments mixes contemporary design with nautical elements.
Nautical themes are pervasive throughout the lobby. Sunny yellow lounge chairs join porthole frames at the reception desk. Vintage furniture classics, handcrafted accents, and elegant textiles woven from natural fibers are combined with robust ropes, nautical motifs, and vintage oak floors to create a cozy feel. Rope buoys are used as decorative accents, with black pendant lights hanging from anchored cords. A timber chest suggests that it might once have held nautical charts; a wooden table crafted from repurposed shipping boxes lies in the center of a comfortable seating area.Â
The one and two-bedroom apartments were designed to look like berths on a ship. In the living room space, a tripod floor lamp recalls sailors’ astronomical devices, while nautically themed black and white photographs refer to the harbor’s heritage. Modern elements are added with tightly woven sisal rugs, a herringbone-patterned sofa, and Hans Wegner’s tri-legged black chair.
The bedrooms have a fawn and honey color palette, soft fabric curtains, a natural sisal rug, and a leather-lined bed frame. A rope swing has been reconstituted as a nightstand, and above the bed is written the German greeting “moin moin,” which can often be heard on the streets of Hamburg. Ample storage is provided in the closet area.Â
The kitchen feaures state-of-the-art appliances and a custom backsplash that depicts blue handpainted ships. A brass-trimmed steamer trunk holds dinnerware and cutlery, and a rustic, iron-frame dining table resembles a shipping container, and is emblazoned with the words “handle with care.”
