Concept Statement:
Philippe Stark states, “Hotels are no longer impersonal transitional venues but living, pleasurable spaces bursting with humour and irony. They are theatres where we act out our own destinies.” Looking at popular hotel lobbies such as Yoo, Punta del Este by Philippe Stark and Brasserie Les Haras by Jouin Manku, this international hotel in Madagascar takes the concept of spiral movements and repetition of curves to display an exaggeration of a chameleon’s tail--a very exclusive Malagasy animal. The form is used throughout the space for the floorplan, materials, and furniture selections. The word Chameleon is derived from the Greek words chamai (on the ground) and leon (lion). The Chamai Hotel takes the name “on the ground” to relate to the chameleon along with the entire Malagasy ecology. When guests walk into Chamai the unified organic elements, such as color and texture, remind them of the Malagasy wildlife.
