Perhaps we should start with a disclaimer: This is most definitely not your mama's hotel. CityHub Rotterdam doesn't do typical hotel suites, penthouses or even actual rooms. Instead, this Generation Y centric hotel offers sleeping pods that'll fit you, your luggage and your devices. Think of it as a modern take on the hostel, if your hostel featured innovative design and a commitment to fostering community. Yes, you'll share bathrooms and lounge spaces during your stay. And yes, you'll fill your own beer at the bar. And yet, you'll feel like you're staying at a baller hotel that's boutique, design-forward and a place where you actually want to hang out during your down time.
With varying color palettes, custom furniture pieces and cool lighting installations, each section (or hub) of CityHub is like a walk through a new gallery. If you're into forward-thinking design, rad color combinations and a mix of old architecture with modern finishings, read on below for more from the interior design team at Studio Modijefsky that are behind this gorgeous getaway in The Netherlands.
If you are familiar with the CityHub concept, you will already know that it is no standard hotel. Typical rooms are replaced with futuristic sleeping unit or hubs. The hubs are aimed at a generation with a digital lifestyle, who make the most out of the interactive features and enjoy being connected 24/7.
We invest time in creating a concept – investigating the DNA of the site itself and the assignment. By collecting a lot of data, we create a big library to base first our concept on, followed by a design. This way the design is always unique just like the concept of CityHub!
It is the Hub's location and concept that has provided the inspiration for the building’s new interior design. Through preserving traces of the old walls and finishes and combining them with a new material palette, the three adjacent buildings have been cleverly merged to allow each to retain their individuality. The use of the CityHub colour scheme creates a unique ambiance in each building which makes the visitor aware of each new part while moving through the interior. The intensity of the colour changes on each floor, using daylight as a guide to ensure contrast. As sunlight moves through the building, the interior colours on each floor take a lighter hue to create a distinctive, lightening colour palette as you descend floor by floor. To achieve this effect, a base colour has been chosen for the ceiling and is mixed with tones of grey to create the gradient for wall finishes. The floor carpet is a mix of coloured thread with varying grey tones. The coloured themed spaces in each building and on each level, emphasize the white hubs and highlight them in their surroundings.
The Witte de With straat (street the hotel is on) is the most vibrant street of Rotterdam. In daytime its a street with art galleries and shops, at night time it comes to life with a lot of bars and restaurants, neon signs, light boxes and a very colorful mix of people, outfits and cultures. This street is active till late at night with people enjoying drinks on the street and also having a very late night dinner in one diners.
The interior of CityHub reflects this vibrant color palette, using materials that are partly an extension from the street with stone tiles on the floor and different signs with lights welcoming the guests and indicating where to go.
Rotterdam as a city is more ‘raw,’ no picturesque sceneries but more modern architecture and materials. The materials palette used in CityHub, in combination with the design that shows some strong interventions and bold statements, it fits the character of the city as well as the more outspoken character of the street it is situated on. 
The space is used all day. Guests use the hang out to have a coffee in the morning, enjoy their self brought breakfast, work during the day or have a drink before going out. It needs to suit different needs and sometimes act more as a lounge and other times serve as a more active spot. Some of the custom furniture pieces are fixed, like all the benches on the wall and the high tables. Other furniture pieces are of the shelve and can be moved around by guests if they would like to sit together.
Its a mix of custom furniture and off the shelve products; a lot of the benches are custom made for this project, and also the table tops are. Some items like the barstools are second hand, but we had them newly upholstered and spray painted. The chairs and poufs are Norman Copenhagen - ace collection. The table bases are partly by Pedal and spray painted in a custom color.
The interior of the building is heavily layered, using not only various layers of materials, but also custom-made elements. The best example of this approach can be found in bathrooms, where bespoke sinks and wall cabinets partly cover the existing windows. Without blocking the view, a new layer is created over the old structure of the building. Bathroom finishes colours vary from blue to pink and go against gender stereotypes. With various tile types and finishes, the colour schemes represent each of three buildings they are in and give spaces a fresh and playful identity. Completed with custom sink elements and mirror details, these common spaces are filled with sophisticated personal touches.
Interior Design: Studio Modijefsky | Hotel: CityHub
