2023 Starnet Award Winners Spotlight a Sense of Place in Hospitality Projects

As the summer of 2023 progresses, consumers continue to shift their spending from goods to services. There is still room to grow as the share of spending on services is not fully recovered from 2019. The public continues to shrug off inflation, interest rates, slowing wage growth and tight credit standards to prioritize in-person experiences. According to AAA, 50.7 million Americans will travel this Independence Day weekend. If their forecast is correct, it will be a new record for the holiday, and likely pass the prior high of 49 million travelers set in 2019.

To support the data, Delta Airline CEO Ed Bastian commented at their Investor Day, “demand as you know, as anyone that’s traveling knows, is off the chain.” When traveling to their destinations, consumers may experience some incredible interior design through the hotels, museums, restaurants, shops, conventions, showrooms, and stores. Many of these projects are entered into the Hospitality-Public space category of the Starnet Design Awards.

This year, the Starnet Design Awards reflected design trends that cross over the Hospitality-Public Space segment:

Sense of place rooted in local design, local history, culture and architecture
Focus on sustainability and third-party certifications
Supporting experiences, brand immersion, and visitor education
Focus on design to bring an Instagram ready luxe feel
Repositioning properties and experiences to appeal directly to Millennials and Gen Z
Beautiful bespoke feel – color, pattern, patterned, sculpted, and artful

In the 25^th anniversary of the Starnet Design Awards we saw multiple projects which reflected these macro trends in hospitality project design and execution.

LaGuardia Terminal B

LaGuardia Airport’s new Terminal B symbolizes the top-to-bottom transformation of one of the nation’s highest-profile terminals. This project included many elements of the local history and culture design themes, drawing on the architecture, history and geography of New York. Grand-scaled sequences—reminiscent of Grand Central Station—include 60-foot-high ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows. Pedestrian bridges double as a metaphor for New York, a city of islands and bridges, and provide stunning, panoramic views of Manhattan. This project also includes the hospitality trend of sustainability and third-party certifications. As the world’s first airport to earn LEED v4 Gold certification, Terminal B sets new standards for sustainability and resilience in civil infrastructure. Extensive daylighting and a solar thermal system reduce energy consumption.

Project: La Guardia Terminal B
Starnet Member: Consolidated Flooring
Starnet Preferred Vendors: Ardex, Armstrong Flooring, Bostik, CMP Specialty Products, Johnsonite By Tarkett, Schönox, Tarkett Collection Hard Surfaces, Tarkett Soft Surfaces
Architect: HOK
Awards Won: Gold Winner Hospitality
Location: New York, New York

Click an image to view project details

Flint Hills Discovery Center Playscape

The Flint Hills Discovery Center was built to educate and inspire the next generation of land stewards. It incorporates three trends in hospitality – sense of place, sustainability, and a bespoke feel using pattern and color.

The Flooring Layout was conceived as an abstracted topographical map and has curved geometrics that echoes the terrazzo floor geometry featured in the main atrium space. Bold colors were intentionally chosen to coordinate with Discovery Center branding and to create moments of color intensity at different interactive exhibits. Each of the three color areas corresponds with an educational theme.

Project Name: Flint Hills Discovery Center Playscape
Starnet Member: Image Flooring
Starnet Preferred Vendors: Ardex, Mapei, Mohawk Soft Surfaces, RFMS, Roppe
Architect: BBN Architects
Awards Won: Gold Winner People's Choice, Silver Winner Hospitality
Location: Manhattan, Kansas

Click an image to view project details

Tarkett Showroom

The Tarkett showroom project repurposed an existing space to an Instagram-worthy environment. The end result was inspired by local themes at the street block level, but also incorporated a luxe feel and a Generation Z aesthetic. Tarkett’s concept began with a study of the neighborhood, the dynamic Fulton Market. The space is surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows, natural light, downtown views, urban living, and the constant movement of the former industrial district. A sophisticated, neutral palette created a clean backdrop for gentle nods to the neighborhood’s existing industrial character such as exposed concrete, metal, knurled handles, and brick-laid subway tile.

Project Name: Tarkett Showroom
Starnet Member: Consolidated Flooring of Chicago
Starnet Preferred Vendors: Johnsonite By Tarkett, Tarkett Composite Tile, Tarkett LVT, Tarkett Soft Surfaces, Uzin Utz North America
Designer: Kuchar Studio
Awards Won: Bronze Winner Hospitality
Location: Chicago, Illinois

Click an image to view project details

Adler Planetarium

In the Adler Planetarium Project, the “local focus” was light years away in the night sky! In the Chicago Night Sky gallery, the products used were reminiscent of space, sticking with cool blues and greys. The historic building’s curvilinear architecture was broken by 60/40 splits of light/dark color and using linear products in curvilinear spaces to create a bespoke effect using the patterns. The finished product has a dynamic feel which leads patrons around the space. In the Café and Upper Gallery, the carpet tiles mirror the large format of the surrounding windows where the Chicago sky, lake and skyline steal the show. In the lower level administration, the artful use of bold colors in carpet tile adds fun and interest to the space. The remodel brings new life into the area and entices some of the Gen Z hybrid workers to return to work from their home offices.

Project Name: Adler Planetarium
Starnet Member: Consolidated Flooring of Chicago
Starnet Preferred Vendors: J+J Flooring, Johnsonite By Tarkett, Milliken Commercial, Uzin Utz North America, XL Brands
Starnet Member Designer: Kristy Burlingame - Consolidated Flooring of Chicago
Awards Won: Gold Single Source Interior Contractor Award
Location: Chicago, Illinois