MILAN — For Reykjavik native Gulla Jónsdóttir, the Aurora Borealis phenomena, molten-red erupting volcanoes, black sand shores and hot water grottoes were part of everyday life growing up.
That aesthetic that mimics natural wonders has naturally been incorporated into her work through everything from her furniture pieces, like the petal chair to the abstract, sculptural ring doorknob she designed for Italian design firm Lualdi, and the cavernous interior space she created for Javier’s restaurant in Los Angeles. The latter won her the Créateurs Design Award, Best Hospitality Project in Interior Design in January.
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Her signature design vision can be seen in her latest hotel project, which is full of curves and organic, carefully carved shapes — Autograph Collection’s Unframed Miami Beach, which opened its doors in April and is located in the city’s cultural district overlooking Soundscape Park and The Fillmore. The exterior is also distinguished by its nature-inspired ripples and was designed with a French Riviera spirit by French architect Rudy Ricciotti. The 149-room property emerges from a neighborhood thick with verdant palms, amid the city’s Art Deco landmarks.
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“It’s inspired by the beaches of Miami and a little bit of the Art Deco glamor of the city. It’s a concept I like to call ‘tropical modernism’ because it kind of has a Latin American feeling on Miami Beach,” the designer told WWD on Friday.
As soon as guests enter the hotel, they are greeted by a monumental front desk — a sculpted bespoke wooden art piece with shapes like a weathered seashell, which she describes as the hallmark of the entire project. “We worked with a talented wood carver out of Amsterdam who made it for us and the result was just, wow.”
Jónsdóttir collaborated with an Italy-based firm to design the marble wall behind the front desk, featuring sculptural, space-inspired forms. The elevator hallway stands out with a hand-sculpted ceiling that evokes the wind-eroded textures of underwater caves, creating a sense of organic movement.
“I made these curves of canyons, but none of them are the same shape,” she mused.
The same aesthetic and spontaneous curves extend to the lobby bar area, which is enlivened by bronze plaster finishes and was achieved with the manual work of mill workers on-site. The lobby area is center-pieced by a chandelier created by Parisian Mathieu Lehanneur, designer of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic torch.
The rooms are outfitted with rust-red linen drapery that adds a pop of warmth, custom brandy-colored velvet beds and bespoke furniture, including wood cabinets and desks topped with Calacatta Viola marble. Bathrooms are also adorned with Calacatta Viola marble vanities and white micro cement showers.
In addition to Unframed Miami, Jónsdóttir’s past hospitality projects include the 175-room Sandbourne hotel in Santa Monica, Calif. One of the distinct features of that property is the Marelle restaurant outfitted with sand-finished plaster sculptures, chukum-coated walls and ceramic pendant lamps handmade with local clay in Oaxaca.
While the California vibe is imbued naturally into her work, Jónsdóttir can’t escape the influence of her homeland.
“The nature of Iceland is great and dramatic and it’s full of contrasts and I think it did influence me throughout my life.”
Autograph Collection Hotels are owned and operated by Marriott International. Launched in 2009, this brand is a portfolio of independent, upscale, and luxury hotels like The Landmark Nicosia, Cyprus and the Sina Villa Medici in Florence.