Mercedes-Benz Style

Mercedes-Benz is entering the market for premium business apartments in collaboration with the Frasers Hospitality Group, a leading international provider of luxury serviced apartments. From autumn 2015, as part of a pilot project entitled ‘Mercedes-Benz Living @ Fraser’, visitors to London will be able to book six serviced apartments that have been designed by Mercedes-Benz Style.

A further nine apartments will follow at the beginning of next year in Singapore. With this move, the premium automotive brand is looking to translate its expertise in cutting-edge design, innovative technologies and integrated transport solutions to the serviced apartment sector. People will be able to experience the ‘modern luxury’ for which Mercedes is renowned even when they’re not on the road. Inspired by the interiors of the company’s current vehicle range, the team at Mercedes-Benz Style designed the appointments of the 50 to 100m² apartments together with experts in hospitality decor.

The results adhere steadfastly to the Mercedes-Benz design philosophy of sensual purity. Design partners Burmester and Swarovski have helped to come up with individual concepts that offer all the convenience, workmanship and high-quality materials typically associated with Mercedes. These exclusively appointed serviced apartments are aimed at business travellers and individuals who don’t want to compromise on style and comfort when they are away from home. The project is based on an idea by the Business Innovation department, the Daimler think tank that is tasked with identifying new areas of business.

“More and more people are permanently on the move. They live and work in unfamiliar cities where they are looking for a ‘home away from home’ and a sense of security,” says Wilfried Steffen, head of the Business Innovation department. “That’s exactly what we want to offer them – and at the very highest level and with the perfection and quality that you’d expect from Mercedes-Benz.”

The six London apartments, which are located in Kensington, have around 100 square metres of space that includes a generously proportioned living and dining area, a fully fitted kitchen and two bedrooms. The nine apartments in Singapore will have around 50 square metres of living space. The choice of furniture and accessories as well as the varying colour and lighting concepts clearly bear the signature of the Mercedes-Benz Style designers.

Furniture elements that would typically be separate instead form a seamless whole, creating new, self-contained spaces. Contrasts are used intentionally to create visual interest, while a blend of free-form shapes and geometry produce an aesthetically accomplished composition. This is exemplified by the ‘Black Magic Wall’. This media wall with integrated smart TV and high-gloss black finish has a cool technical appearance that creates an intentional contrast to the historical Kensington Street in which the apartments are located. It blends seamlessly into the beautifully designed sideboard, above which there is a sculptural element reminiscent of the feature line of a car.

(By Chris Danielson/emercedesbenz.com)