Water worlds: the new hotel-bathroom experience

Freed from the more conventional demands placed on purely private spaces, hotel bathrooms have matured from the hyper-compact and practical to become sites of relaxation and even of indulgence. The perfect place in which to unwind after a stressful business meeting or a long day of sightseeing, they also lend themselves to the increasingly insistent culture of the selfie – as long as the lighting is good, of course.

This also means that designers are able to experiment with new spatial concepts. In Brisbane's Richards & Spence-designed Calile Hotel, Mediterranean charm is combined with brooding brutalist influences, and the spacious bathrooms feature sliding panels that connect the space with the bedroom. A palette of pastel-coloured walls and tiles, polished marble, and a concrete ceiling unifies the two spaces, while guests can determine their preferred level of privacy.

In Detroit, ASH NYC has turned a neglected art-deco landmark into The Siren Hotel. The opulent feel of the communal spaces – featuring navy-velvet upholstery and moss-green timber panelling – gives way to a lighter, more pared-down aesthetic of pastel-coloured linen and magnolia walls in the bedrooms. But the bathrooms are something else entirely: with shower screens made of glass brick, bright terrazzo sinks and tiles, and tubular-steel furnishings, they inject a much needed brashness into the overall design.

Sigurd Larsen's Michelberger Hotel in Berlin exudes an altogether more relaxed atmosphere. Warm shades of grey – combined with timber details and lots of plants – permeate the project throughout, from the lobby to the guest rooms. The bathrooms are set on a semi-open terrazzo podium, with natural light pouring in through large windows. Carefully positioned mirrors and mirrored panels overhead accentuate the space's height, while missing panels provide glimpses of the room, without compromising on privacy for bathroom occupants.

In Sydney's Paramount Hotel, designed by Breathe Architecture, the terrazzo and tile bathrooms are even more open to the overall space. Toilets are, of course, enclosed, to ensure privacy and hygiene, while wash basins are located near the entrance to the room. And although the smaller rooms feature enclosed shower-rooms that open up onto the sleeping space, larger rooms offer a centrally located, open bath, with the sleeping area placed on a mezzanine above. A reduced palette of steel frames, grey tiles and timber unifies the space, while the use of translucent-glass panels brings natural light deep into the interior.

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