Imagine a Water Tower turned into a hotel — I think of a ball shaped thing on legs like you see dotted across the midwest of the USA- and I scratch my head at the thought.  The Dutch however have different types of water towers.  They look like this (castles) and a few years ago, after spotting the beautiful building in an image of the town in 1930’s the creators of this amazing hotel decided to give the building new life.

No longer surrounded by water, the creation of The Hotel Augustus and it’s landscape, recreated an opportunity to  surround the premises with water and nature.  After renovation, the river Vlij now flows again, the water tower/ hotel is surrounded by gardens and the original pumping station has been converted to a restaurant and a market-café.

Sited on the spot where the water basins for Dordrecht’s water tower were located, a formal but quirky  garden was created.
They “envisaged a garden that would do justice to all the images that the thought of a garden evokes. A garden that supplies food, a garden that is a feast for the eye and delight for the nose, a garden that reflects the changes of the seasons, a garden where sun and moon, wind and water, air and rain can be felt. A garden that makes you feel uplifted and humble at the same time. A garden that reminds you of all the promises and possibilities that lie ahead. A garden that inspires the cook and that in turn is
inspired by the kitchen – the cook and the gardener, the gardener and the cook.”

There is an entrance garden, a vegetable garden for fresh produce, a garden full of berries, a hothouse for grapes and a greenhouse. A Giardino Segreto (Secret Garden)  in which you can disappear or even stay the night (there is a hotel room in the secret garden), a copse to roam about, an orchard with apples, pears, plums, cherries and last but not least an Italian garden.

I yearn for projects like this and take enormous inspiration from it.  From the quirky formal garden to the business model of creating a hotel and landmark that flows directly from the land and whose main feature is the landscape, I am contemplating how my own little slice of land can be put to better use.

This new hotel designed by Isay Weinfield speaks to my soul.  I want to go here so bad.  It is sited in a dramatic and dazzling landscape; arid, rocky, with sparse low vegetation. The scenery inspired the previous owner to erect, with the rocks found in the area, his home and an annex. Upon arrival on site for the first time, the architecture team determined that the original buildings which were  rustic and of unique workmanship – should be preserved.

Those building have now been converted to the reception and bar of the hotel.  Now I think the challenge will be to complete the rest of project (which will include private homes, hotel bungalows and other amenities) in a similarly sensitive manner, because this landscape is awesome, and should undoubtedly be preserved.

The place is called Las Piedras Fasano located in Punta del Este, Uruguay. It is 480 hectares and had 3-km of beach stretch on the riverside of Arroyo Maldonado.  The landscape is dramatic, rocky and rugged.

Found via and images from World Architecture News.

I gasped when I saw this. To be honest, I wasn’t sure it was real – perhaps only a trick of rendering software. But no, this is (was) a real life hotel located in Helsinki.

Too bad I am a day late and dollar short. The building was a temporary installation that was removed in September 2009 but thankfully, the images live on and we can all still be inspired by them.   Designer Pieta-Linda Auttila created this building in Helinki Finland for a design competition where only wood from Finland could be used in the construction.  The goal was to create an iconic structure that would draw designers and artists.  I think she succeeded.

What I am inspired by is the wavy wood and its use in the outdoor space as a trellis and an arbor.   It flows, and creates structure, but gives an element of enclosure.  It is such a different look for a trellis and arbor. It has me thinking about how you frame views and images in the garden through the use of structure.  Certainly this allows for gazing at the Helsinki Skyline but with horizontal lines running through. So different and interesting.

Here is a brief description from the WISA website:

“The first thing that catches the eye is the atrium courtyard in the centre. The long curved pine boards half-covering the patio form a trellis that titillates the imagination. The trellis protects against the wind and filters the long rays of the Nordic sun into the courtyard. The charming interplay of light and shade can be observed throughout the day, as the bright morning light gradually turns into the red glow of the Northern midnight sun.”

Pieta-Linda Auttila also hopes to spark interest in wood and highlight its role in building and design with this structure.  It certainly works for me….what about you?

It’s been a while since I have seen a hospitality project that grabs my attention like this one.  The Spanish design firm Designhouses, have recently completed the Hotel Viura, located in the Spanish wine region of Rioja Alavesa. Named after the most widely planted white grape variety in Rioja, Viura is a beautiful and exciting modern design that accentuates the old character of the town and blends with the landscape in a way that doesn’t try to hide within the environment but rather celebrates the character of the region.

It’s not a terribly big (only 26 rooms) project, but that many of the rooms have balconies where gardens have been created give the design a healthy look that I think only plants can impart.

found via Contemporist

I am so excited to be rolling out this new feature on Studio ‘g’ today.  It’s called ‘In the Garden With….’ and my goal is to introduce lots of inspiring bloggers and non-bloggers to you through their gardens and their garden experiences.   Many of my requests have gone out to people you may not know as many are not regular garden bloggers but rather are writers, bloggers on other topics, artists, and designers of various sorts.  They are people that I find interesting and who I want to know a little more about- through their garden world.  There will also a good mix of luminaries from the landscape world too so hold onto you seats it’s going to be a fun ride here on Wednesday’s….

So here is my plan….I have asked each of the participants to answer the same set of questions and send along some pictures if they can.  Carolina of Carolina Eclectic down in Texas is my first feature.  You should take a moment to pop over to her site…the post, A woman’s home is her Castle – features a house and garden (that is for sale) that will knock. your. socks. off.  – not to mention lots of other inspiration.

How would you define your style?

I chose my blog’s name to be Carolina Eclectic because that describes my style and who I am. I love experimenting and incorporating many different ideas. Also, my style includes minimal and modern elements with just plain eccentricity. I’m a big believer in bringing some craziness into life!

image via Dwell Magazine

Do you have a garden? What is it Like?

Yes, but this winter has been a little tough on it. I live in Houston, TX where its usually warm all the time. This winter, however proved to be slightly different. My poor garden has suffered more freezes than its used to and we weren’t always here to protect it:( I’m still hoping it will recover.

Our little garden was inspired by two of the cities that inspire me the most, Austin and Santa Fe. Austin is both modern and funky. I love the cool gardens of both the San Jose and Saint Cecilia hotels. At the same time, walk down the street of many an Austin neighborhood and you will be greeted by funky and free-spirited yards! Its a bohemian dream come true:)
Somewhat related in style, is Santa Fe NM. with all its Southwestern color and beauty. I grew up not too far from Santa Fe and traveled there a lot as a child. The incredible vegetation is so inspiring, it just takes my breath away. My dream is to one day live there just like Georgia O’keeffe and be inspired by the landscape.

Hotel San Jose and Saint Cecilia Hotel in Austin

Do you have any favorite or sentimental plants or flowers?

I have three sentimental plants. I bought them 10 years ago when I first got married at a hardware store for around $10.00 each. I don’t even know what they are called. Originally I bought them to place at the top of an old armoire I had. The funny part is that I have since sold the armoire and moved several times and those plants keep on going! When I look at them they remind me of being a newly wed and of all the experiences my husband and I have had together.

What is your earliest or favorite gardening related memory?

My earliest memory is of a neighbor’s backyard my friend and I used to sneak into when I was around 4 or 5 years. This man’s backyard had beautiful tulips everywhere, to me it seemed like a fairy tale. (Although, we did get into trouble later)

(that’s Carolina on the left in the neighbors garden!! — too cute!)

What are three cardinal design rules (from your design field) that you think also apply to outdoor projects?

1. Simplicity- I think there is great beauty in keeping things simple.
2. Integrity of materials- At all times, I try to use natural materials in their natural state. I am also a fan of letting objects wear naturally…I love chipped paint and rusty metal.
3. Include something that doesn’t make any sense- Go ahead! Do something a little crazy that only has meaning to you and makes you smile every time you see it. Personally, I have a vintage bowling ball placed next to a large minimalist birdhouse beside my front door. I always wonder what the mailman must think about that:)

Carolina Recommends….

1. Gardens in Austin- Love their amazing selection of plants and their beautiful showroom too!
2. Thompson and Hanson in Houston- They have a very exclusive collection of plants and outdoor furniture. Also, They have a quaint showroom that typifies Houston’s gentile style.
3. Janus et Cie – Very lust-worthy outdoor furniture!

I love a good PR stunt….especially when it’s for a budget friendly, but chic trendy hotel and it involves creating an enormous hanging garden basket.  Way to go Hotel Indigo for this and all your other cool designs that average income-d people can enjoy.

Not sure if it is still up — but this was at the Indigo Hotel near Paddington Station in London. Image was found at trendhunter.