Hotel Budersand Golf & Spa in Hörnum: Moments of Light

It‘s the light that makes this island so unforgettable: a clear glowing light with a gentle shine to it. And it‘s the sheer beauty of virtually untouched nature that presents itself in this southernmost tip of Sylt. The remarkable architecture of the recently opened 5-Star Superior Hotel Budersand Golf & Spa in Hörnum incorporates this breathtaking nature and unique atmosphere of light.

In the very south of the North Frisian island, where witches are said to have danced and the ghosts of some unfortunate shipwrecked souls supposedly wandered, is a large dune called Budersand Berg. Apart from the obvious influence on the name of the new Budersand Hotel Golf & Spa, the dune also seems to have served as a natural model for the building completed in May 2009. In the manner of a sand formation of a different kind, the ensemble composed of four houses gently nestles in landscape. With a range of different building heights, cuts and courtyards, there is no regularity to bore the eye. A generous panorama terrace links the also newly created golf course, while an impressive hotel foyer leads to restaurants, bars and banquet rooms as well as a spa area of over 1000 m2. Four inner courtyards with greenery allow additional daylight illumination of the reception area as well as creating vertical connections to the upper storeys. The 79 rooms and suites ranging from 21 to 65 m2 are distributed over four individual two- or three-storey buildings joined by bridges, each offering a spectacular view of the sea, the dunes or the harbour. Lamellas of North American red cedar wood break up the façade structure serving as sun protection as well as balcony border. The wooden envelope of the building allows it to change its appearance in a chameleon-like manner: with an enchanting silvery gleam in the sunlight, picking up the pale blue hue of the water or the delicate gold of the dunes.

An awe-inspiring location and unspoilt nature: these are the chief factors that influenced the design by the architect Patrik Dierks at dko Architekten in Berlin. “The interaction of architecture and location is particularly important here”, explains Dierks. “Rough landscape and luxury merging simply exquisitely - leaving the hotel guest with the feeling of having experienced something memorable and unique.” What appears to be an extreme contradiction at first is united in the impressive composition of the Budersand Hotel. There is a fascinating interplay between clear shapes and structures and a constantly changing outside, visible through a huge number of panorama windows.

While nature is a vital component of the Budersand Hotel, it also represents the standard against which the hotel is measured. Jan Wichers, responsible for the interior design of the hotel, took this idea of applying nature as a standard very seriously. Looking back on over 40 years of experience in interior design, he embraced nature as a source of ideas with open arms. Almost all the colours, materials and shapes used in the ensemble can be traced to the immediate surroundings, creating a harmonious link between building and nature. In line with this ethos, instead of finding their feet confronted with polished marble surfaces in the rooms, guests will delight in haptic oak floorboards stimulating the reflex zones. Free-standing bathtubs, wicker beds, translucent woven curtains, simple furniture made of wood and leather - ‚ interior design without any frills‘ is how Jan Wichers likes to describe his creations. The interior designer is fascinated by the sheer simplicity which he believes encourages guests to dream, free from unnecessary distractions. The furniture, lighting fixtures, fabric and materials all echo these natural attributes. Succulent green meadows, deep blue water, golden dunes and the light, always that light that one simply cannot get enough of.

Getting the extraordinary light effects from the outside to the inside was the task of the lighting designer Harry Mayer. The basis for a harmonious interplay of nature and spatial experience was already created by Jan Wichers‘ reduction to the essential. The lighting design now had to provide an appropriate and effective illumination of this setting. “It wasn‘t an easy task”, Harry Mayer recalls, “guests don‘t want to refer to any user manuals or turn lamps on or off all the time after all. And yet, the lighting has to be perfect at all times and create the right atmosphere.” In the public areas, the restaurant, the library and the spa area, this is achieved by light management system Litenet Flexis. Light sensors determine the required amount of light and control the connected lighting fixtures. The emergency light system Onlite CPS by Zumtobel is also integrated in this manner. Harry Mayer chose ZBOX as the solution for the rooms and suites. Perfect lighting is ensured by simple rectangular boxes called Circle Control Points positioned in specific locations such as near the writing desk, the bed and the washbasins. The guest just has to press a button with a particular symbol on it to create a preprogrammed lighting atmosphere. ZBOX then creates the perfect lighting conditions for putting on makeup, watching television, reading, having a bath or resting. Even the suitably soft lighting for a relaxing glass of red wine on the balcony is just the touch of a button away. Luxury means not having to worry about anything, not even the lighting.

Project data:
Client: Südern GmbH, Darmstadt/D
Architecture: dko Architekten, Patrik Dierks, Berlin/D
Interior design: Studio Jan Wichers, Hamburg/D
Lighting design: Hamburg Design, Harry Mayer, Hamburg/D
Lighting Solution:
Public areas: LITENET FLEXIS lighting management system, ONLITE CPS emergency light system, Hotel rooms: ZBOX lighting control system

Zumtobel is an internationally leading supplier of integral lighting solutions for a wide variety of applications. "We want to use light to create worlds of experience, make work easier and improve communications and safety while remaining fully aware of our responsibility to the environment." This is the vision Zumtobel, a Zumtobel Group company, has been following for more than 50 years, developing innovative and individual lighting solutions that fulfil every requirement as regards ergonomics, economic efficiency and environmental compatibility and create added value in terms of aesthetics. With company-owned sales organisations and commercial agencies in more than 70 countries, Zumtobel shows international presence at the customer’s site. The Austrian company sets great store by international contacts to establish a worldwide network of experts and design partners within the lighting industry.

Zumtobel Lighting GmbH
Kerstin Schitthelm, Dipl.-Ing.
PR Manager
Schweizer Str. 30
A-6851 Dornbirn
Tel. +43-5572-390-1484
Fax.+43-5572-390-91484
e-mail: Kerstin.schitthelm@zumtobel.com
www.zumtobel.com

This release was published on openPR.