The 14th annual Radical Innovation Award revealed the award winners virtually after a virtual finalist presentation and open vote by the attending audience. Nearly 1,000 voters took to the Radical website to vote for their favorite of the three finalists.
These three finalists were selected by a jury of hospitality and design experts: Claude Amar, managing director, The Hardy Group International; Ellen Brown, EVP, Fulcrum Hospitality; Dan Dobin, CEO, Valley Forge Fabrics; Mark Friesen, principal, Beyer Brown & Assoc.; John Hardy, president/CEO, The Hardy Group; Michael Medzigian, chairman/managing partner, Watermark Lodging Trust; Jena Thornton, principal, hospitality, Kinzer Partners; Steve Tipton, VP, Serta Simmons; Larry Traxler, SVP of global design, Hilton; Simon Turner, managing director, Alpha Lodging Partners; and James Woods, WeWork Capital Advisors.
More than 80 entries from more than 20 countries were submitted to this year’s Radical Innovation competition from which three professional finalists and one student winner were determined based on their design, creativity, feasibility and ability on making an impact in the industry. The three professional finalists: Camp Sarika by Amangiri, submitted by Luxury Frontiers, Dream Pod, submitted by Populous and The Modern Monastery submitted by Indiedesign were presented virtually to an engaged audience who voted on the Radical website.
In an online vote by the audience, Camp Sarika became the recipient of this year’s $10,000 grand prize. The Modern Monastery received the runner-up recognition, a $5,000 prize.
2020 Grand Prize Winner: Camp Sarika by Amangiri Submitted by JamieRose Briones, Luxury Frontiers, San Francisco
Canyon Equity, the owner of the iconic Amangiri, charged Luxury Frontiers with designing North America’s first all-weather, year-round tented camp, at a level of luxury unprecedented in the West. The result: 10 beautifully appointed one- or two-bedroom tented pavilions—bespoke architectural statements which offer discerning guests the ultimate luxury Amangiri is known for and adventurous back-to-nature experiences in Utah’s desert landscape. Given the site conditions of sun, wind, snow and extreme temperatures from 20°-105° F, these unrivaled guestrooms thrive on performance and aesthetics.
Luxury Frontiers’ architectural and interior design is a contextual tribute. It captivates the senses with thoughtfully positioned tents which bow toward monumental sandstone formations, while welcoming guests inside with the soft intimacy of a natural canvas tent. Clean lines, natural color schemes and canvas work, distinguished by stitching and fixing details, cultivate a refined camp feel.
2020 First Runner Up: The Modern Monastery Submitted by, Beatrice Girelli, Indiedesign, Los Angeles
The Modern Monastery is a unique destination for sophisticated traveler in search of a transformative experience. Quarries are perceived as large lacerations in the landscape that alter the image of the location in an irreversible manner.
The project is based on the desire to embrace rather than conceal. The process of excavation and extraction of stone has created a dramatic open space with imposing sculptural quality and unique scale that should be celebrated. The design showcases the vertical quality of this involuntary structure creating breathtaking interior views with a concept focused on reconnecting the quarry with its natural setting, reestablishing a sense of calm and grounded energy. The guest journey will be one of the same.
The imposing scale and solemn quality communicate a deep energy: dynamic yet motionless. Capturing this magnetic stillness becomes the foundation of the design process. The intent is to translate such essential quality and feeling into a deep physical experience so powerful that it will promote a sense of inner well-being and spiritual wellness.
2020 Second Runner Up: Dream Pod Submitted by Joel Mbala-Nkanga, Populous, Kansas City
With the Dream Pod, “head in the clouds” and to be “on cloud nine” are not just expressions, they are reality. A traveling experience like no other.
The customer’s demands from the hotel and tourism industries have changed dramatically. Consumer satisfaction, the single most important metric in the industry has taken on a whole new meaning in a world where customers are constantly seeking more personal and new experience that they can in return share with the rest of the world. Especially with the rise of COVID-19 and the “new normal” that is to follow it, the cookie cutter approach to hospitality, especially in hotels is becoming more and more archaic.
In a world where tourist and travelers have mounting ways of traveling to new locations, navigating while they’re there and places to stay, Dream Pod aims to be a brand-new experience like none available in the market. A truly radical concept that takes the idea of traveling and hoteling to the skies. With the Dream Pod, having your head in the clouds, and being on cloud nine are not just expressions, they’re a reality.
In addition to the professional design/concept winners, the prestigious jury selected one student submission from among a record number of entries this year. This year’s student winner is Moment Hotel by Jieru Lin, a recent graduate of California College of the Arts.
The student winner earns a $1,500 prize, and an opportunity for an Assistantship to The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Masters Architectural Program, or a Teaching Assistantship to the University of Illinois School of Architecture and the opportunity to apply for a partial of full scholarship from the NYUSPS Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality.
Additionally, the winners in the 2020 Radical Hospitality Product category are: The Bruskin Glass Modular Shower by Belstone, Van Nuys in the professional category and Mio A Smart Mirror by Arda Genç, Istanbul Technical University, Turkey. Each were awarded $1,500.
