LW Design opens office in Aarhus, Denmark
LW Design Group has opened an office in Aarhus with the objective of targeting the European market after prevailing in the Middle East for decades. In an exclusive preview with Sleeper, CEO Jesper Godsk outlines his vision for the company going forward and explains why Denmark was the country of choice for expansion.
LW Design has been shaping the hospitality industry since its conception in 1999. Known for our stand-out hospitality-focused design and architecture projects, we are well established across the Middle East and are now rapidly expanding our reach internationally into regions such as Asia, Africa, South America and Europe.
Having developed over 300 hospitality projects worldwide from the ground up, our design process continues to be driven by a commitment to straying away from old ideas and venturing boldly into the new and unknown, placing emphasis on functionality and our philosophy of “the way it makes the audience feel”.
What started as a small firm with an even smaller portfolio two decades ago now extends globally from private residencies to luxury hotels and resorts, working with leading operators such as Marriott, Accor, Hilton, IHG and Four Seasons, as well as brands like Raffles, Edition, Waldorf Astoria, Vida and Zabeel House.
With the opening of our Aarhus office, we are bringing all of this global experience and relationships to the European market. As someone who originates from Aarhus, I chose the Middle East as a starting point for LW after seeing huge potential for its hospitality industry. When the market exploded and faced challenges of rapid growth, we navigated through rough waters and contributed significantly to a design language that went beyond the glitter and gold. We established a contemporary design language that formed the roots of the modern city we see nowadays, channelling the past and the present of the region at the same time.
It is that same trust and loyalty that we pride ourselves on today. Together with our four partners; Colin Doyle; Cristina Wakamatsu; Jimmy Hansen; and Adrian Battisby, we have grown LW from Dubai and ventured into the broader Middle East and the world, opening offices in Dubai, Hong Kong, São Paulo and now Aarhus.
You may wonder how we ended up in Aarhus, but it is actually a fair trade. For over two decades, LW has brought hygge – a Danish word used when acknowledging a feeling or moment, whether alone or with friends, as cosy, charming or special – to the world through our designs, which make a positive impact on people’s daily lives. In return, we are taking our experience in hospitality to Europe, pinpointing Denmark as the beating heart of its design and setting up an establishment that is known as a home rather than an office. As such, the building features a lounge, communal bar and even an office labradoodle named Gunar.
It literally is the home base for myself and Jimmy, and we hope to bring international expertise with us while taking time to establish the design team in Denmark. We want to give ourselves time to absorb the DNA of Aarhus and the rest of Europe, so that LW can deliver playful design schemes that tell the stories of brands.
This is in contrast with the fast pace of Dubai, arguably the world’s most aggressive emerging hospitality market with countless hotels and restaurants in one city. It is a unique place that represents all available brands from all over the world, concentrated over less than 5,000km². The UAE boasts a cross-pollination of ideas that embrace various nuances of the region and the diversity of creative cultures living there.
While some may think that everything in Dubai is brand-new, given the country’s young age, in fact, a lot is refurbishment. As such, we have been involved in a variety of commissions that blend considerate restoration and newbuild elements, embracing culture, history and modernity. This design process is a strong asset when entering the European market, which has seen an upturn in planned hotel construction in the next decade.
Furthermore, restaurants and bars have always been the cornerstones in LW’s portfolio. In our eyes, life isn’t just consistent and flowing, but a collection of different moments. These can be big or small, and every choice we make influences how people look back at an experience and remember it. LW Design strives every day to make these choices count. This is what will sustain the future, and make people want to come back!
While working on numerous projects simultaneously, we are constantly challenged to be aware and exposed to what a space is and what it can be. Restaurants are great to avoid getting comfortable in your work as they demand you look at everything with a fresh perspective. That is why LW’s restaurants are all so different.
To achieve this, you need a communicative team that has extensive experience and brings immense value to their client’s investment. It is LW’s essence to work together. Each of our completed projects is the result of a joint effort between each department; success is never built by a single person. We nurture our relationships and ensure that friendship is key to our approach, with associates, architects, interior designers, client representatives and developers remaining part of that family. Nurture is at the very heart of LW Design.
Our teams around the world walk the tightrope between both spheres, successfully executing projects with precision and refinement. This comes from our focus on a project’s build-ability. Design has the capacity to bring imagination to life in a manner that’s realistic to achieve, so we look at the scale, technicality, development options, and most importantly, the budget. Sure, some of the world’s most breathtaking architecture looks like the stuff of dreams, but what separates it from fiction is resources, labour and effort.
The new Aarhus office is a strategic addition to our global enterprise and reflects our ambitious expansion plans. Although all the LW Design offices take the post-modern route for project concepts, they prefer a traditional approach when executing the design process. We like to be involved with each element of development and will guide each client every step of the way, underlining our ethos that “design is about the people who will use it”. Therefore, we always remain closely involved, consistently evaluating and ensuring the end product aligns with the initial concept – from Dubai to Hong Kong, Sao Paolo and now Aarhus.
