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THE WB ABU DHABI CURIO COLLECTION BY HILTON

Abu Dhabi, UAE

CLIENT

Miral Asset Management


LOCATION

Abu Dhabi, UAE


CATEGORY

Hospitality


PROJECT STATUS

Completed


Our approach here was guided by WB's desire to engage its audience in the same way its television, films, and animations do but with a subtle hand. We wanted to capture the Warner Bros ethos rather than state the obvious.

Plot layout of WB Hotel

This simplified architectural drawing shows the relationship between the hotel and the theme park as well as the circulation pattern. 

Warner Bros World Abu Dhabi
WB Hotel lobby

The starting point for the design was the lobby which was tackled from a contemporary approach while incorporating a number of retro elements. Here, the idea was to create a space reminiscent of an old cinema but in an unobtrusive way with old style phone booths, red carpet and memorabilia artfully incorporated into the fabric of the design. Behind the concierge desk is old style fretwork reminiscent of the old-style cinemas.

The rich history and storied legacy of Warner Bros. was the driver for the design, and we had to ensure the narrative flowed from space to space and floor to floor. One clever way of doing this was the creation of the living archive – an open and closed display that elegantly winds around a central column encapsulating an iconic helical staircase and housing an evolving collection of items dedicated to the vast depth and history of WB’s role in entertainment, from Michael Keaton’s 1989 Batman cowl to an original drawing from The Great Gatsby and a range of recognisable props from Warner Bros. different films. The pieces were all chosen so they linked with each other to contribute to the story.

WB living archive staircase