The Sheraton Incheon Hotel in Incheon-Songdo City, South Korea, is a critical component in a newly masterplanned city, hoping to become the international business district of the East. With that in mind, the team at DiLeonardo International came up with a Return to Utopia" narrative. “The design is a delicate blend of the modern Sheraton language and expectations of an unparalleled quality of life, as technology, resources, and innovation all come together to create the ideal environment," says Andrew Chiu, DiLeonardo’s principal, director Asia Pacific.
The DNA of the property was based on three key images. The first, an image of pine leaves, which directly related to the word Songdo, which means "pine island." The second, a photography of cookies customarily served with tea in Korea. "It gave us a very strong sense of home and hospitality," Chiu says. And thirdly, an image of overlapping, leather upholstered panels, "which reminded us a lot of the architectural design of the hotel and a strong sense of the Sheraton brand," he says.
As a result, the pine leaves are seen in the carpet patterns and wall murals. The overlapping panel concept comes alive in the wall behind reception and the guestroom ceiling, as well as other areas. And the cookies became a pattern for the exhaust hood covers over cookie stations in the all-day dining restaurant.
Meetings with the client also led to a contemporary, yet understated luxurious look. Throughout the hotel, there’s an earth tone-inspired quiet and masculine color palette; Korean cultural symbols add a splash of color here and there including a giant glass mural next to the grand staircase leading up to the ballroom which contains colorful stripes taken from a "hanbok," a traditional Korean robe that children wear on their first birthday.
A highlight? The presidential suite, designed so corporations could use it during conventions to host exclusive cocktails and other private functions. "We gave the suite a much sexier feel than the rest of the hotel," Chui says. They designed an extra large foyer for guests to mingle or be greeted before entering the main living room, which features sleek Italian furniture. Elsewhere, there’s a live cooking station, media room, fireplace in the bedroom, walk-in closet, and spa-like bathroom complete with a giant whirlpool tub and steam shower (for two) along the curtain wall for breathtaking views of Songdo.
"Since the concept of an entirely masterplanned new city (developed by a foreign company) is very rare in Korea, the success of every component of it is very important," explains Chui, adding that it was one of his smoothest and fastest projects because the client was such an expert builder being one of the biggest Korean construction companies. "The Sheraton is one of the landmark structures in New Songdo and a critical component to the success of the convention center—the main engine for the livelihood of the new city."
