DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE
The Memory Makers- HABITUS DESIGN GROUP-
Habitus Design Group( HDG), founded by Samantha Drummond, creates hospitality destinations beyond the usual boundaries of imagination. Their projects are to be found from the Philippines to Scandinavia, from huge urban resorts which combine virtually every facet of hospitality under a single roof to intimate supper clubs for the cognoscenti, each one characterised by the unorthodox while hitting absolutely the right note- sumptuous, playful, belonging to its place and always memorable. The design studio is in Asia with satellite offices in London and Denmark; Samantha is an Australian national who began her career transforming bars in Melbourne into the place for celebrity after-parties before moving to Asia where she orchestrated the interior planning and design of Singapore’ s Marina Bay Sands.
The firm’ s latest game changing project is Solaire North in the Quezon City district of Manila, the Philippines’ first five-star integrated resort where the client’ s mission was to elevate the local economy, reset the potential for international tourism and provide the leading hospitality draw for city residents. The design centrepiece is the ultimate expression of this ambition. Credited with being the world’ s largest glass sculpture, it was conceived by Samantha to encourage visitors to dwell and then move up the multiple levels of the atrium, and was created by artist, Nikolas Weinstein.“ Mangrove embodies the spirit of innovation and artistry that defines Solaire North,” says Samantha.
Solaire North offers 17 dining options, each one designed by HDG. They include: Yakumi, an intimate fine dining Japanese destination full of shadow and glimmering illumination; the Pool Deck all-day dining experience offering an incredible selection of local cuisine; the top level Finestra, an imposing Italian restaurant particularly memorable for its hand-blown glass chandeliers and ancient olive tree dramatically suspended from the ceiling; and Sky Bar, replete with cigar and wine vault.
www. habitusdesigngroup. com
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