{"id":255199,"date":"2025-06-16T13:40:30","date_gmt":"2025-06-16T17:40:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/interiordesign.net\/?post_type=canvasflow&p=255199"},"modified":"2025-06-20T12:20:13","modified_gmt":"2025-06-20T16:20:13","slug":"w-prague-hotel-avroko-prague-czech-republic","status":"publish","type":"id_project","link":"https:\/\/interiordesign.net\/projects\/w-prague-hotel-avroko-prague-czech-republic\/","title":{"rendered":"Step Into The Dreamy W Prague Embodying Art Nouveau Charm"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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For the lobby of W Prague, a new 161-key hotel occupying a 1905 building, AvroKO, the project\u2019s primary design firm, conceived custom brass check-in desks backdropped by jewel-toned glass tile, all of which nod to the site\u2019s original art nouveau style and the region\u2019s glassmaking heritage. Chapman Taylor oversaw the restoration of the structure\u2019s historical elements including this area\u2019s lighting and mosaic floor.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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June 16, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n

Words: <\/span>Stephen Wallis<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photography: <\/span>Eric Laignel<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Step Into The Dreamy W Prague Embodying Art Nouveau Charm<\/h1>\n\n\n

In picturesque Prague, with its centuries-spanning medley of architectural styles, there\u2019s no shortage of distinctive hotels for the 8 million or so visitors who descend upon the Czech capital every year. But it\u2019s fair to say that there is nothing like the W Prague, which celebrated its official unveiling in March, following a near decade-long refurbishment and restoration of its protected heritage building, a swaggering art nouveau gem on Wenceslas Square, in the heart of the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The richly ornamented facade, dating to 1905, the height of art-nouveau fever in Eastern Europe, has been spruced up\u2014verdigris and gold on swirling ironwork balconies, candy-red on window mullions, fresh gilding on the sculpture that crowns the confectionlike pediment at the top. Grand Hotel Europa, the name the property was given in the \u201950\u2019s, remains. But just above, a modest but unmistakable golden W has been added, heralding a new era.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Whimsical Welcome Into The W Prague<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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For the lobby of W Prague, a new 161-key hotel occupying a 1905 building, AvroKO, the project\u2019s primary design firm, conceived custom brass check-in desks backdropped by jewel-toned glass tile, all of which nod to the site\u2019s original art nouveau style and the region\u2019s glassmaking heritage. Chapman Taylor oversaw the restoration of the structure\u2019s historical elements including this area\u2019s lighting and mosaic floor.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

W Hotels and its parent company, Marriott International, were brought in to redevelop and manage the 19,380-square-foot property, which had changed hands a few times since the late \u201980\u2019s and been shuttered since 2013. The updates, including an elliptical, nine-story extension behind the seven-story hotel, involved multiple firms. London-headquartered firm Benoy oversaw the architecture for the new wing, based on concepts by Czech studio DAM.architekti<\/a>. International outfit Chapman Taylor, which has an office in Prague, headed up restoration of the historical spaces, worked with Czech heritage authorities, oversaw the design rollout of the spa and standard guest rooms, and served as the project\u2019s architect of record. While AvroKO, the U.S. firm with two international studios that has already put its mark on nearly a dozen Marriott properties, with more in the works, was enlisted to tie it all together, masterminding key public areas and the hotel\u2019s premium suites, while collaborating with Chapman Taylor on light fixtures, tilework, and dining and bar spaces that combine old and new.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen we were approached about this project and first saw pictures of the building, the noise heard throughout our studio was of jaws hitting the floor\u2014it\u2019s just so incredible,\u201d AvroKO<\/a> cofounding partner Adam Farmerie recalls. The creative challenge, he explains, was to layer in original contemporary elements that would speak to the historical parts in ways that feel authentic, steering clear of pastiche. \u201cWe knew trying to replicate actual art nouveau details would be a disaster,\u201d he continues. \u201cInstead, we had to find solutions that created a bridge to the past.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How W Prague Mixes Czech History With Modernity<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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The refreshed facade retains its Grand Hotel Europa signage from the \u201950\u2019s.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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The corridor connecting the original seven-story building to a new nine-level addition by Benoy features a wall and ceiling curtained in velvet chenille embroidered with garden motifs.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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A custom chandelier hangs from the skylight restored by Chapman Taylor in the original building\u2019s atrium.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The AvroKO team, led by its London office and the design director there, senior associate and architect Alex Reed, came up with three main pillars of inspiration to build a visual narrative, beginning with the organic foliate and floral forms associated with art nouveau, notably the work of Czech artist Alphonse Mucha. Expanding upon that movement\u2019s connections not only to nature but also to symbolism and mysticism, they developed a concept they referred to as \u201cthe fantastical garden,\u201d Reed says, \u201cvery whimsical, sort of magical, a place of escapism.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A third pillar was elixirs and alchemy, which enjoyed a heyday in 16th-century Prague. \u201cTying in these ideas about substances that could transform base metals into gold or were medicinal potions believed to cure all ills and give eternal life felt very apt,\u201d Reed explains. Manifestations of these visual influences are woven throughout the 161-room hotel, not least in the atmospheric lobby, where the sumptuous art-nouveau lighting, plasterwork, and mosaic flooring have been meticulously restored. For guest check-in, AvroKO conceived shimmering brass desks that stand before an arched niche inset with colorful square tiles made by Preciosa, the venerable Czech glass company. Their radiant gold and jewellike tones establish the palette that is carried throughout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Radiant Tones Establish The Palette Inside This Hotel<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Surrounded by hand-painted murals, the atrium\u2019s second-floor lounge is furnished with AvroKO\u2019s custom seating and carpet, capped by an 11-foot-long Czech-crystal chandelier that the firm collaborated on with Chapman Taylor.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Aged-brass ribbing wraps\nthe bar at Poppy.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Acid House Vol 2. XII by Czech painter Karel \u0160t\u011bdry\u0301 adds punch in the W Lounge.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The same Czech company also crafted the majestic pendant fixtures that hang in the atrium and the grand staircase. The latter is a shower of variously shaped crystals that cascade down in between the graceful ironwork balustrades in a \u201cmodern meets heritage moment,\u201d as Reed puts it, \u201cwhere you feel the exciting vibe of the hotel but cut with Czech history.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More such moments can be found across the project, whether in the Bisou lounge, a lavishly paneled belle epoque room where guests can enjoy a glass of champagne seated on shapely custom sofas, while perching their flutes on faceted mirror cocktail tables that nod to Czech Cubism. Or downstairs on the clubby Minus One level, Occulto, a former beer hall with exquisite art-nouveau paneling, tilework, stained-glass, and hand-painted murals, has been updated with a bar in polished stainless steel inspired by a vintage cigar box. \u201cWith such a robust heritage backdrop, bringing in this kind of modernity just punches away from it as a contrast,\u201d Reed says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AvroKO Injects Garden Flourishes Into The W Prague<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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All of Bisou.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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A custom fixture in the garden-themed hall.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Coordinating tapestry and rug at a private Bisou lounge.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

For the transition from the historic building to the new one, AvroKO leaned into the fantastical garden theme, concocting a dramatic emerald and gold corridor draped in velvet curtains embroidered with grasses, flowers, hummingbirds, and butterflies. Floral pendants add to the effect, one that Farmerie describes as \u201cfeeling like you are walking through a dream.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emerging into the new building, the vibe shifts in the W lounge, an all-day space featuring different types of seating in a variety of configurations for everything from brunch to business meetings to cocktails with live DJs. While there are allusions to art nouveau, the aesthetic also flashes mid-century chic\u2014poured terrazzo flooring, groovy fireplaces, curvy Vladimir Kagan\u2013like sofas, columns that disappear into circular lighting coves \u00e0 la Morris Lapidus. Anchoring it all is a showstopping 30-foot-long serpentine bar, behind which a sculptural bottle display playfully evokes the top of an eye. \u201cThere are unexpected moments as you walk through,\u201d says Reed, who notes that in warmer weather, the fun spills outside into the garden, where a live green wall is inset with a cozy seating nook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

W Prague Amps Up The Glamour<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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The Marvelous suite, like the E-Wow, is located in the property\u2019s addition. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When it came to designing the guest rooms, AvroKO focused exclusively on 14 suites, most of which are in the new extension, highlighted by the E-Wow suite. Described as W\u2019s \u201cmodern interpretation of a presidential suite,\u201d the 1,000-square-foot, eighth-floor room amps up the glamour with richly veined stone countertops and expansive rooftop views. As with all the suites in the addition, the rounded form made for \u201can interesting variety of room shapes,\u201d Reed notes. AvroKO embraced the quirkiness with lots of mirror, gleaming metallics, and sculptural furnishings that add to the visual dynamism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the top of the original building, two loftlike Wow Bohemia duplexes take a similar approach, only here the palette is deep reds and golds, while sumptuous furnishings compellingly contrast with exposed timber beams, a reminder of the hotel\u2019s distinguished history. Says Farmerie, \u201cWe were chuffed to have the opportunity to breathe new life into it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stay A Night At The W Prague By AvroKO<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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The firm also restored the stained-glass windows lining a mezzanine where meeting rooms are located.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Its marbletop hosts Josef Hoffmann\nhammered table lamps that also reference the hotel\u2019s original period. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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AvroKO custom designed nearly every element in the W Lounge, the main bar in the property\u2019s extension, where fluted columns ascend into the gilded ceiling above the bar faced in solid surfacing.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The E-Wow suite, the W\u2019s interpretation of a presidential suite, is outfitted entirely in bespoke elements by AvroKO.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Art Nouveau Touches Elevate The W Prague To The Next Level<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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A garden seating nook.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Custom furnishings and a tiled fireplace in the Occulto lounge. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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A Czech Cubism\u2013inspired custom table in Bisou, another lounge.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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A mottled-tile mural by Chapman Taylor anchoring the stair to the subterranean Minus One cocktail-bar and performance-space level in the heritage building.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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The upper stairs wrapping around custom crystal pendants. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Czech graffiti artist Michal \u0160kapa\u2019s Rostlina joining more Chapman Taylor\u2013designed mottled tilework in a Minus One hallway.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Retina, another piece by \u0160kapa, enlivens a private tasting room on Minus One. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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A lacquered wall backs artwork by Adam Ellis Studio in an E-Wow suite bathroom. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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A Wow Bohemia suite, one of two 700-square-foot duplexes on the top floors of the 1905 building, has an art-nouveau palette of grenache reds and golds.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Project team<\/h6><\/div>\n\n\n\n

AVROKO:<\/strong> KRISTINA O\u2019NEAL; GREG BRADSHAW; WILLIAM HARRIS; ED ROJAS; ZHENG XU. CHAPMAN TAYLOR:<\/strong> ARCHITECT OF RECORD. RTLD:<\/strong> LIGHTING DESIGNER. ATELI\u00c9R; DMM; STILLES:<\/strong> CUSTOM FURNITURE WORKSHOPS. EXX:<\/strong> GENERAL CONTRACTOR.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

product sources<\/h6><\/div>\n\n\n\n

FROM FRONT<\/strong>
ADAM ELLIS STUDIO:<\/strong> CUSTOM CURTAINS (HALL). MAORA CERAMICS:<\/strong> TILE. POLSTRIN DESIGN:<\/strong> CUSTOM SEATING (ATRIUM LOUNGE). POTS:<\/strong> PLANTERS. PORCELANOSA:<\/strong> CUSTOM BAR FACE (W LOUNGE). D3LAB:<\/strong> CUSTOM BARBACK. EXX:<\/strong> CUSTOM COLUMN HEADS. WOKA LAMPS VIENNA:<\/strong> BAR LAMPS (POPPY). GREEN4LIFE:<\/strong> GREEN WALL (GARDEN). APPIANI; BALINEUM; SENIO:<\/strong> MOTTLED TILE (MINUS ONE). THROUGHOUT<\/strong> PRECIOSA: <\/strong>CUSTOM LIGHT FIXTURES, CUSTOM TILEWORK. AXPRO CONCEPT:<\/strong> CUSTOM CARPET, CUSTOM RUGS. CHELSEA TEXTILES:<\/strong> SEATING FABRIC.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n