WeWantMore completes design of Belgium’s first Mövenpick
Belgian design studio WeWantMore has completed the design of the first Mövenpick hotel in Belgium.
Mövenpick Brussels Airport, a new flagship destination for Accor, finds home in a building designed by architect David Vancanneyt.
WeWantMore was commissioned to design the hotel’s 103 rooms and public spaces, taking cues from the striking and surrealist concrete ‘curtains’ that feature on the building’s exterior.
A sense of purposeful whimsy characterises the hotel’s interiors, which tap into Belgium’s long and storied tradition of surrealist art. Spaces are designed to surprise guests with thought-provoking elements and unusual details, in line with the Mövenpick brand philosophy of ‘doing ordinary things in an extraordinary way’.
Interiors emphasise a feeling of being up in the clouds, with a palette of warm whites and light blues. Sheer curtains, cloud-shaped carpets and blue banquette upholstery come together to evoke the essence of the sky, cocooning guests in light, airy spaces. This extends to guestroom showers, which are positioned under an illuminated textured ceiling resembling clouds.
Designed to evoke feelings of airiness and levitation, furniture and joinery has been constructed so it appears to float above the ground, emphasised by the use of rounded edges and curves.
“Our ambition was for the hotel interiors to unite dreams and reality, and find beauty in things both unexpected and uncanny,” says WeWantMore’s Monika Jedrzejczyk. “WeWantMore has partnered with Mövenpick to redefine the airport hotel experience, transcending the traditional boundaries of functionality and business travel. By thoughtfully addressing the long-standing perception of guests as merely ‘in-transit’ and focusing on meticulous details, we crafted an extraordinary and timeless aesthetic that unites dreams and reality.”
A distinct sense of playfulness also arises in the communal areas and restaurant, with objects designed to subvert expectations. Shelves are supported by books, spheres and vases, and foot rails and lighting features are held up by ‘hands’. In the bar area, a counter lifts its stone skirt to reveal polished metal beneath, while a solid block of granite hovers, apparently precariously, above.
Mirrors add to the dream-like experience, warping perspective and appearing to be frozen in the act of melting. In guestrooms meanwhile, design details include cane-shaped wall lights and an over-the-bed lamp that casts a bird-shaped shadow – referring both to René Magritte’s bird motif and Mövenpick’s logo.
The interior of the restaurant evokes a sense of warmth through the use of wood, copper, bronze, light camel leather and soft plaster. Booths are made using 3D-printed panels that mimic the appearance of stracciatella ice cream – a reference to Mövenpick’s own ice cream line.
In the hotel’s restaurant, Magritte, a copper veil seems to float through the space, as if carried away by a gentle wind – emphasising the area, its elevated position, and its surrounding views.
