The Fontenay, Hamburg

Project Information

Building: The Fontenay Hotel

Location: Hamburg, Germany

Architect: Jan Störmer

Geberit Know-How

AquaClean Mera Comfort
Sigma80 flushplate
Duofix installation system
Silent-db20 drainage system
Sigma70 flushplate (public areas)
Preda urinal ceramic appliance (public areas)

Geberit AquaClean Control Panel at The Fontenay Hotel

Geberit AquaClean Mera at the The Fontenay Hotel

Project overview

Architect - Jan Störmer

Why Geberit?

Project overview

ALL ABOUT THE FLOW

Water plays a key role in the 5-star superior hotel. The Fontenay in Hamburg from its location on the Aussenalster and its flowing architecture right through to the bathrooms in the hotel rooms,where the AquaClean Mera shower toilet from Geberit provides guests with unparalleled comfort.

The 5-star superior hotel The Fontenay – which was built according to the plans of well-known architect Jan Störmer from Störmer Murphy and Partners – has been enriching Hamburg’s hotel landscape since March 2018. As you approach the hotel, it is hard notto be impressed by its exceptional location right on the Aussenalster. From the garden, one can enjoy a wonderful view of the water or through the fully glazed entrance into the lobby, where Jan Störmer’s design concept is clearly visible. Due to the fact that this 130-room luxury hotel consists of three intertwining circles, the interior of the building almost only has curved walls. Only the walls between the hotel rooms and suites and those in the bathrooms are straight.

IMPRESSIVE DESIGN AND MATERIALS

The ground floor contains the reception, the 27-metre-highatrium, the Parkview restaurant and the conference areas, withthe top two floors home to the spa area, the Fontenay bar and the Lakeside restaurant. Meanwhile, floors one to five house the hotel rooms and suites, which range from 28 to just under 200 m2in size.The interior’s colour palette exudes harmony – light shades of beige, green onyx walls, warm shades of white as well as turquoise and royal-blue accents reflect nature. Everything – from the terrazzo floors in the public areas and the different parquet flooring right through to the granite stone and hand-tufted rugs –was made specially for the hotel.

The elegance of the building’s interior also flows through the bathrooms. AquaClean Mera Comfort shower toilets from Geberit arefitted in the bathrooms in all room categories, thus offering guests a premium level of comfort. A convincing design was importantto the planners not only when it came to the main features, but also the finer details as well.

“It was clear to me from the outset that the bathrooms at sucha hotel have to be equipped with ahygiene toilet – as I prefer tocall it. Geberit products won me over thanks to their impressive design language.” - Jan Störmer, Störmer Murphy and Partners

Architect - Jan Störmer

An interview with the office of Störmer Murphy and Partners, Jan Störmer, about the design and comfort of the luxury hotel The Fontenay

Jan Störmer and his team convinced investor Klaus-Michael Kühne in 2013 with their competition design for the 5-star superior hotel The Fontenay in Hamburg. With its form of three interlocking circles, it blends harmoniously into the park-like plot. In an interview, Jan Störmer provides insights into a task that you, as an architect, are not allowed to work on every day.

You and your team were the winners of the competition for the 5-star superior hotel The Fontenay in Hamburg. Was this something special?

Störmer: Definitely! The requirements of the investor were very high, the briefing was very qualified and already contained many details. That was both help and challenge. We seem to have exactly met the wishes of the client with our design. The Fontenay looks the same today as we had planned in the competition and proposed to the project manager. This is a rarity that makes us very proud.

On which basic idea is the concept based for such a structure?

Störmer: When we design a hotel in our office, we are guided by the people who will be there temporarily. In this case, demanding holidaymakers and business travelers, locals who want to spend a special day there ... They should be comfortable and enjoy pure beauty.

What significance does this hotel have for your office?

Störmer: We were already able to realize many interesting and big projects. The Fontenay is certainly our previous masterpiece. Designing a hotel of this class in such a location - directly on the Outer Alster Lake - is something unique. True to the motto “Lakeside Luxury“ the hotel should offer its guests every comfort. This starts with the expansive lobby, continues in the spacious rooms with private loggia and extends to the spa area on the top floor of the hotel. There are not the largest and most expensive suites, but an area from which all day and overnight guests benefit.

The demand for comfort is also reflected in the furnishings in the rooms: well thought out layouts, fine materials and separate areas. In the bathroom, the guest also expects a shower toilet. What is the idea behind it?

Störmer: I appreciate these hygienic toilets - as I prefer to call them - they are already state-of-the-art in Asia. Naturally, we wanted to offer this comfort to the guests of this luxury hotel, which is why all rooms and suites are equipped with an AquaClean Mera equipped by Geberit. We quickly came to an agreement with interior designer Matteo Thun, who made the design, and Aukett + Heese, who carried out his plans.

The market now offers a wide range of comfort toilets. Why did you choose the Geberit model?

Störmer: With Geberit products, the successful design language, the sophisticated technology and such important details as the flow of water in the WC ceramic convince me. This fits perfectly with the concept of the whole house, where water and flowing movements play an important role. Since these properties are also found in other products from Geberit, it was clear that we wanted to go further than the AquaClean Mera. Because in many cases, it is precisely these details that decide whether a house in the end seems consistent.

Which products are these, for example?

Störmer: The operating panel of the AquaClean Mera and the actuating plate Sigma80. Both harmonize perfectly in terms of design and operation with the control element for lighting, curtains and air conditioning in the rooms. A soft touch or a mere approach by hand will suffice and the desired function will be carried out.
In the public toilets of the restaurants, the decision was made to use the Sigma70 flush plate, which is very similar to the others: simple and elegant due to the glass surface. On the men's toilets are urinals from the series Preda, which convinced by their elongated shape and also invisible technology.

In your opinion, what characterizes the cooperation with Geberit?

Störmer: From the beginning, it became clear that Geberit cares about this project. The exchange was intense and on an equal footing and we were always provided with the information we needed for our work quickly and competently. That is also the merit of Norbert Steffens, the Key Account Manager Hotel of Geberit.

Finally, a personal question: What is your highlight of The Fontenay?

Störmer: Clearly the atrium with its 200 panes of glass and the chandelier suspended from the ceiling. The light scenarios programmed for the illuminated panes give rise to very different moods. I designed the chandelier with its modern interpretation, which seems to float in the room, especially for this house. In the evenings, he dips the atrium in an elegant light.

Why Geberit?

A shower toilet that blends into any bathroom environment and is filled with revolutionary comfort technology. The Geberit AquaClean Mera is a monument to what it means to enjoy deluxe comfort. The WhirlSpray shower technology provides a thorough clean, whilst being gentle with a quick and continuous supply of warm water. Additional features include the patented TurboFlush technology, an orientation light, a WC lid automatic function, WC seat heating and integrated odour extraction.

Find out more