July 15 2019

Air travellers are being catered for by a new hotel at Edinburgh Airport with the opening of a 230-bed Moxy branded venue created by Marriott to appeal specifically to Millenials.

Externally the hotel is finished in 150sq/m of glass curtain walling supplied by Cube Glass for the reception and bar areas and includes a pink ‘towel rail’ as a ‘corner feature’.

In a design statement associated with the initial planning application, Faithful & Gould wrote: “Amongst the design team it was agreed to create an area of visual interest above the main elevation and on the gable along Eastfield Road which consists of a ‘towel rail’ element, built out using Alucobond cladding panels. This creates visual interest to the elevation and helps to break up repeated windows and cladding to the elevation.”

Delivered by Clark Contracts and designed by Faithful & Gould the project comes complete with a book-themed interior in reference the Edinburgh’s status as a Unesco City of Literature.

11 Comments

#1 Posted by A Local Pleb on 15 Jul 2019 at 12:33 PM

Since when did F&G start providing design services over an above their usual project & commercial management services?

#2 Posted by errrr on 15 Jul 2019 at 13:11 PM

F&G are owned by Atkins ...... who design the odd thing or two

#3 Posted by monkey9000 on 15 Jul 2019 at 14:24 PM

Good grief.

#4 Posted by wonky on 15 Jul 2019 at 14:32 PM

The Capitalist Dictatorship that manifests these abominations is a 1000 year old empire of an industrial caste system governed by a stream of never ending dynasties...these designs are unconscious warnings to our sleepwalking selves to be prepared for the great terror to come...I do love the towel-rail effect though! Wowzer!

#5 Posted by Sue Pearman on 15 Jul 2019 at 18:42 PM

Inside it seems very much of the current 'fashin' but outside it's pretty much the ugliest thing I've seen this year! [...hangs head]

#6 Posted by Daniel on 16 Jul 2019 at 09:45 AM

Millenials, of course, are well known for choosing to stay in airport hotels and not, you know, in cities and near stuff.

#7 Posted by Neil C on 16 Jul 2019 at 13:14 PM

#6 - Millennials jetting off to take selfies in front of the Korean DMZ would def stay here. I would too, because the interior is stylishly presented, the lighting is on-trend, and who doesn't love a Star Wars pinball machine?

The fact I haven't mentioned the building's external architectural merit is because it doesn't have any. It's a box. With some pink on it.

#8 Posted by Dulnain on 16 Jul 2019 at 17:56 PM

For anybody to claim they designed this monstrosity beggars belief!

#9 Posted by Asimov on 17 Jul 2019 at 08:56 AM

I've stayed with Moxy at Frankfurt Airport a couple of times and have to admit - interiors are the same (owners also have Ikea in their portfolio, so no surprise there). Building however, is a completely different story - client wants client gets. Blame local planners for allowing rubbish like this to be erected in the first place. Scotland is littered with carbunkles day by day, basically for low or no demand for quality architecture or no willingness of presenting one. Sad but true.

#10 Posted by Steve on 17 Jul 2019 at 17:27 PM

Bleurrrrgh

#11 Posted by Robert on 19 Jul 2019 at 12:43 PM

Not exactly new - I stayed there in March before an early morning flight.

The envelope is utterly banal and forgetable, much as you would expect from any chain airport hotel (or just about anything else at Edinburgh airport these days). The lobby fit-out and lighting are decent though - a much more comfortable and relaxing vibe than equivalent chain hotels. At the end of the day it would be madness to use this or any other airport hotel as a base for visiting Edinburgh but it is probably one of the better options if you need to catch a flight at the crack of dawn.

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