Lux 11

Berlin

This cosmopolitan, youth and pop culture oriented capital city has been a center of creativity ever since the day Germany was reunified. As a member of UNESCO’s network of creative cities, Berlin has become an internationally renowned destination for art lovers, in the same category as Paris, New York and London. As a meeting point for the latest trends, Berlin’s Fashion Week bears witness to the city’s formidable creative energy in action.

In this innovative and trendy capital city, nightlife is a refuge for the underground scene, centered around the historic Mitte, or central quarter. This former East Berlin neighborhood, abandoned after the Wall came down and which gradually became a beehive of activity for artists, is home to The Treasure, one of the trendiest techno clubs in the city, whose reputation goes beyond the borders of Germany. A visit to the capital would not be complete without a stop at this paragon of Berlin’s nightlife.

A hotel in total contrast

In this highly active Mitte quarter, located in Berlin’s historic area, filled with art galleries, prestigious brand names and restaurants, a 19^th century type building appears with its facades in a purplish-pink light. The Hotel Lux 11, very popular with young people and urban nomads, opened in July 2005. Its creator, architect Claudio Silverstrin, is totally at home with the most unusual arrangements. “The interiors of the Lux 11 Berlin-Mitte play with opposites such as hot and cold, smooth and rough, etc.”, London architect Giuliana Salmaso explains. “The concept for the apartments was inspired by traditional Berlin buildings made with wood and concrete.” The attempt to make impersonal materials and contemporary design coexist together via the green colored concrete and the light colored parquet functions beautifully. The contrast and the minimalist décor of the 72 rooms create an atmosphere of serenity and intimacy with an authentic contemporary touch. The hotel’s Luchs restaurant offers a gastronomic Italian-Asian cuisine under the direction of its Chef, Christian Khalaf. The Lux 11 has become a must spot for trendy Berliners who flock there at night to enjoy the music of the city’s finest DJs.

The work of architects Claudio Silverstrin and Giuliana Salmoso is the result of the meeting of two personalities whose partnership is perceived metaphorically as an encounter between stability and movement. Their philosophy can be summed up by this basic precept: “Bombarded by aggressive images, we try to put Man at the center of all attention by stimulating a dormant sensitivity.”