Rob Wagemans to receive AHEAD Outstanding Contribution award
AHEAD, the Awards for Hospitality Experience and Design, has announced that Rob Wagemans, founder of multidisciplinary design studio Concrete, will receive the Outstanding Contribution Award at AHEAD Europe.
Wagemans founded Concrete in 1997, and has spent the 20 years since creating architecture, interiors and branding for some of Europe’s most innovative hotels. He is the creative talent behind CitizenM, a game-changer designed for the urban traveller, and Zoku, a home-office hybrid that caters to mobile professionals.
Wagemans and his team were also responsible for the design of W Verbier in Switzerland, the W brand’s first alpine and ski resort, as well as Ink Amsterdam, a bohemian lifestyle hotel where the traditional rules of hospitality are translated for a modern era. His most recent project, Roomers Munich, plays on elements of seduction, surprise and the unknown to create a memorable guest experience.
Presenting the award to Wagemans at the AHEAD Awards ceremony in London – attended by over 900 leading hospitality professionals from across Europe – his long-term collaborator Hans Meyer of Zoku, comments: “Rob has worked with his colleagues at Concrete to create a variety of outstanding hotel projects globally, where he has a proven ability to provoke, challenge and push the boundaries of design. He’s great at connecting the ideas of his team, and at the same time sticking to the essence of the project.”
“Rob is one of the few people that senses the zeitgeist and understands where the world is heading. Don’t call him if you want to re-decorate your hotel and have the wall painted; call him when you want to go beyond what’s out there today. He strives for true relevance. I feel the essence of his work is that it makes the world a little more beautiful, for all of us.”
Wagemans will accept the award at Park Plaza Westminster Bridge London on Monday 20 November 2017.
Each year the Outstanding Contribution award recognises the achievements of an individual within the hospitality design industry. Previous winners include Ian Schrager, Tim & Kit Kemp (Firmdale), Nick Jones (Soho House), Barry Sternlicht (Starwood Capital) and Sir Terence Conran.
