Hotel Ibis Styles Sarajevo
A destination hotel experience by MIXD, the Ibis Styles Sarajevo provides the ideal stay for those seeking refuge in the picturesque and mountainous area of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Opened in 2019, the hotel was designed to attract visitors of the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Tourists came there not only because of the picturesque, mountainous area, but also because the city, reborn after the tragic war in the Balkans. MIXD as the main theme of the project used the winter Olympics 1984 – an event that residents of Sarajevo remember with a great nostalgia.
With 192 rooms, the hotel was built from a combination of an existing building with a newly built tower block. Designers from MIXD decided to use as much as possible elements referring to the Sarajevo architecture, history and local craft. Their goal was to preserve the unique atmosphere of the city, where four religions meet and where traces of wartime destruction can still be found in the streets.
In the selection of materials and colours, this was reflected in the large amount of exposed installations, raw concrete walls in the corridors and the lobby. They were combined with wooden panelling in warm tones and locally woven wool carpets of rich colours and patterns. The central lobby point – shisha bar Chill Cafe is all lined with colourful carpets and decorated with furniture by Bosnian craftsmen. Local handicrafts appear in many details: for example, the room numbers are hand-woven kilims, and in the restaurant one of the walls is decorated with a constellation of hand-forged metal trays.
On the ground floor, the main space is a lobby with reception and restaurant and a lounge bar. Part of the hotel is also a`la carte restaurant – in this interior we have very bright, cold colours and a huge mural by Polish artist Karol Banach – referring to the winter landscape and the aforementioned Olimpics from 1984. The restaurant connects with the bar and lounge, where again the design is warmer and more casual. The old gondolas from the ski lift serve here as a seats.
On the 15th floor of the tower there is a sky bar with panoramic windows – Ingman Bar. It was named to honour the highest mountain visible from there – Ingman – the arena of Olympic skiers’ rivalry. The bar, where alcohol is not served in accordance with local customs, was made of glass blocks, and the stools around are covered with sheep`s skins. Beautiful views can be enjoyed while sitting on a specially designed grandstand and drinking soft drinks or healthy cocktails.
References to the Olympics also appear in other places. They are main subject of murals by Karol Banach. In each of the rooms you will find on the wall a pair of vintage skis – restored and painted in a warm orange. At the reception hang swings made from colourful snowboards – this is a favourite place of hotel visitors to take selfies. The guests of the hotel are welcomed by Vućko – the Olympic mascot – portrait.
Design: MIXD
Design Team: Piotr Kalinowski, Katarzyna Majer-Hola, Joanna Mazurek, Paweł Panek, Agnieszka Kaczara
Photography: Pion Studio
