This book takes architects and designers on a worldwide journey to discover the most stylish and appealing spots, from an urban getaway in Europe to a resort on a South Pacific island, providing a serene ...
Avanti! The son of Holocaust survivors, this design legend has been through crucibles a lot tougher than recession. No wonder “forward” is the only direction his work explores.
By Mary Scoviak
Adam D. Tihany is usually the one who turns on the lights at Tihany Design’s Chelsea office in the morning. He moves from desk to desk, reviewing the work in progress his designers left for his review, as they do each evening before heading home. The possibilities on those printouts and the images on those screens are a siren’s call Tihany can’t ignore—not even after more than 300 projects spanning over three decades. “What keeps me coming to work is the hope that, today, one of my designers will reinvent the wheel,” he says.
Reinvention is something Tihany knows a lot about. Las Vegas buffets were just one long steam table before he introduced Cravings at The Mirage, an upmarket restaurant emporium with an array of sleek, signature stations. He re-envisioned a massive gear as a sculpture to anchor the lobby in Dallas’ The Joule, a Luxury Collection Hotel; made elegance easy for One & Only resorts and nearly single-handedly sounded the death knell for stiff, snotty luxury restaurants.
Innovation is a point of pride, as is an emphasis on individuality. “I’m a custom tailor,” he says. “I take the measurements and design something that fits the personality of the customer. Making every customer look good-- that’s the gauge of good design.”
Never one to mince words—in any of the five languages he speaks fluently—Tihany talked with Hospitality Style about how he’s coping with the downturn, what’s right and wrong with hotel design and why he “dreams of being a Philippe Starck.”
How’s business?
Busy, but I don’t know for how long. Our focus is predominantly on high-end restaurants and 5- to 6-star hotels. Those sectors are slowing down, like everything else. Developers and entrepreneurs are re-evaluating what makes sense and what doesn’t.
Is any region exempt?
Not really. There are questions about the viability of projects worldwide. Dubai is symbolic of what’s happened. Development there was on steroids. At one point (Dubai developer) Nakheel alone had 500 projects under way ($80 billion worth have since been put on hold or delayed). People had this notion that real estate prices would go up and up and that expansion could go on forever. Banks were lending left and right to anyone who had anything resembling idea.
Were they good ideas?