Share this on

Freeze Frame

A closer look at the hottest solutions from July

Staff -- Interior Design, 7/1/2003 12:00:00 AM

Spun, not shaken

Because Las Vegas is all about dazzle, designer Jeffrey Beers poured on the lighting effects at Tabú Ultra Lounge, inside the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino. Among the first examples that guests encounter are six rotating towers behind the main bar. "They're meant to activate the area," says Beers. At 8 feet tall, each dichroic-glass tower is divided by stainless-steel disks into compartments that hold bottles of liquor; the glass is covered by an iridescent film that breaks reflected light into spectral components. As the towers spin, their color changes—from violet to red to blue—and bottle images appear, hologramlike, on the surface of the glass. Meanwhile, the bar's concrete top acts as a screen for a projected cycle of photographic images: nudes, natural landscapes, and fashion shots. "Ultra Vegas," page 238. —A.C.

Disco tech

It may look like a nightclub, but it's actually the atrium lobby of the Hillside Su resort in Antalya, Turkey. To create a party vibe, ErenTalu Architecture designed six mirror balls 6 feet in diameter. At almost 800 pounds apiece, the disco giants require internal rotating machinery to do their thing, casting light around the nine-story space. The playful flickering is counterbalanced by the steady glow of gelled fluorescents inside the acrylic bases of lobby seating units.

Bookending the lobby, a bar and a restaurant each feature a 66-foot-long communal table topped in Corian. Lounging is encouraged, but dancing is surprisingly not. The hotel plays ambient music, so sleeping guests aren't disturbed—96 rooms open off the atrium. "Turkish Delight," page 182. —J.R.