Lobby lounges according to Minotti

Welcome to the age of the lobby lounge – a space that perhaps characterises our society’s cosmopolitan nature the most today. The lobby lounge is a space that feels transitory, a bridge between public and private, yet increasingly it is also becoming a destination. No longer just a place to check-in and wait, lobby lounges have evolved into social spaces for meeting and sharing, re-charging and working, relaxing and dining. The lobby lounge must meet our fickle desires for both comfort and flexibility, durability and elegance, becoming both a forum for exchange and an intimate private zone. Plus, it must serve us effortlessly with ambient, welcoming warmth. So, how to design for a space as demanding as this?

As well as anticipating its relevance today as a typology, Italian design brand Minotti has long seen the importance of the lobby lounge – present in many contexts from residential to hospitality, from corporate offices to yachting. In response, the brand launched its 'One World Collection' in 2008, within which it dedicated increasing attention to contextualising design pieces in open-ended lobby lounge spaces. This collection, described as a ‘soundtrack of contemporary life’ sparked Minotti’s renowned atmospheric interior approach.

This approach is enabled by Minotti’s broad range of complementary pieces for indoors and outdoors, all varied in function, proportion and detailing, yet all shaped with the same sophistication and elegance, to be combined, curated and assembled into a hospitable atmosphere: 'Our aim was to offer people a wide range of pieces that could let them breathe the same sense of intimacy, warmth, comfort, quality and beauty inside lounges, bars and restaurants or luxury resorts that they find at home,' says Roberto Minotti, Co-CEO of Minotti S.p.A.

This concept is connected to the evolution of our cosmopolitan living habits – where frequent international travellers seek a comfortable environment to support them when on the move: 'In a few words, we want people to feel at home, everywhere in the world,' continues Minotti.

So how can designers create the authentic aura of home in a traditionally transitory space such as the lobby lounge? 'It can be interesting, first of all, to imagine the whole atmosphere as a script. It can be even useful, to concentrate attention not only on each single corner but, at the same time, on the overall situation, trying to envision spaces as backdrops to the functions of everyday life.'

This might include designing a cosy, enveloping seating arrangement for conversations with the compact Jacques seats or streamlined Lawson or Reeves sofas – all designed by Rodolfo Dordoni. Quality, memorable moments required of a lobby lounge might be achieved with the addition of a more decorative or detailed piece such as the modular Roger seating system, also by Dordoni, or Torii and Tape armchairs by nendo. While a welcoming flow might be found in the Fynn Outdoor collections by GamFratesi, or the Quadrado range by Marcio Kogan/studio mk27, pieces which carry their design language seamlessly from indoors to outdoors.

Endless design solutions are exemplified in the versatile elements of the recent Roger ‘super’ seating system, which offers countless custom configurations - ideal for easy arrangement and ongoing flexibility in the lobby lounge. All while carrying the sophistication and craftsmanship found in each unique piece brought into the home.

So it turns out that the key to designing for this complex, challenging yet progressive space is a balancing act that Minotti has mastered with sophistication: 'When we design, we search for the best performance both at home and in hospitality environments – as well as best interpreting our own DNA, our vision and the design identity of each of our international designers,' says Minotti.

© Architonic