Unexpected Mosaic Art
A Boston hotel uses Artaic tiles to make their bathrooms multi-dimensional and playful
A pioneer in Boston’s burgeoning Innovation District, the Envoy Hotel draws inspiration from the area’s surroundings for its modern, industrial-chic design aesthetic and offers a stunning waterfront view. This 136-room, AAA Four-Diamond rated hotel provides bold interiors and an easy modern style, both of which are set in contrast to the city’s buttoned-up New England traditions, yet right at home in its “with-it” neighborhood.
The hotel’s contemporary interior called for many upscale and one-of-a-kind design treatments, exquisitely delivered by Boston’s Group One Partners, Inc. These included attractive whimsical custom wall mosaics, strategically complementing the Envoy’s downtown vibe. Installed in the hotel’s public bathrooms, Group One’s goal was to utilize stunning glass mosaics in helping to create an immersive design experience for both hotel visitors and guests.
“The design throughout the hotel was created to ‘push boundaries,” said Carrie Nielsen, Group One’s Associate Lead Designer. “We didn’t want to stop that theme in the bathrooms. Rather, we wanted to continue to manipulate what people were seeing every step of the way.”
“So, our mosaic design was created to be multi-dimensional and playful,” Nielsen continued. “First, one sees a face, then something new with every glance. Our client loves it, as do their guests. You can actually hear people talking about the glass mosaics when they come out of the restrooms. We think of this as an ‘unexpected art moment.”
The custom glass mosaic production was created by Artaic, an innovative and award-winning mosaic design and production firm based in Boston, which has earned an international reputation for making the beauty and artistry of the mosaic medium more accessible. By creating sophisticated design software and revolutionary robotic assembly systems, Artaic has brought the ancient art of mosaic into the modern age.
This was Carrie Nielsen’s first experience working in tandem with Artaic. “We created the artwork in-house,” said Nielsen. “From there, Artaic put into their unique software program. The people with whom we worked were professional… very quick to grasp what we were seeking. In very little time, Artaic showed us exactly what our designs would look like using different tile sizes. From there, we collectively chose just the right tile material to work within our client’s budget and that would be able to evoke all the visual details that were wanted.”
“Working in a restroom, you need to keep in mind all the other wall elements such as grab bars, dispensers and others,” Nielsen went onto say. “We greatly appreciated how Artaic was able to maintain the integrity of our design, somehow being able to keep those elements out of the picture. The installation went very well.”
The custom mosaics specified for The Envoy were made with ¾-inch vitreous glass tile in 10 different colors. Mosaic mural dimensions: 41.8- x 115.2-inch.
“This was a fun project,” said Dr. Ted Acworth, Founder & CEO of Artaic. “In particular, because The Envoy is just walking distance from our firm’s headquarters in Boston. And of course, it always helps when partnering with a highly professional A & D firm such as Group One.”
