Umbral, a Curio Collection by Hilton

Case description

Leveraging our deep industry expertise, we custom-tailored a suite of movable furniture for the Umbral, a Curio Collection by Hilton project in Mexico City—encompassing the terrace bar, minimalist guest rooms, art gallery area, and private meeting rooms.

Converted from a historic building in the city center, the hotel’s spatial layout is characterized by an abundance of open-air courtyards and semi-open connecting corridors. The client’s primary challenge lay in the extremely blurred physical boundaries between indoor and outdoor spaces; the furniture would need to frequently transition between environments subject to intense UV radiation, sudden rainfall, and high indoor humidity. The owner’s greatest concern was that the raw wood and slender metal frames—extensively utilized to achieve a minimalist industrial aesthetic—would suffer from severe corrosion, mold growth, or structural deformation in such a volatile environment. Furthermore, they worried that the minimalist styling might compromise the comfortable, supportive seating experience essential for long-distance travelers.

In response, we implemented a comprehensive all-weather furniture protection system alongside a discreet ergonomic enhancement solution. Specifically for the terrace bar stools, low-profile guest room bed frames, and light-colored upholstered sofas featured in the accompanying images, we applied a triple-layer fluorocarbon coating to all metal components, ensuring top-tier corrosion resistance within the semi-open environment. For the wooden elements, we selected highly stable modified timber treated with a deep-penetrating water-repellent oil, endowing it with the kind of weather resistance typically found in outdoor yacht decking. To optimize seating comfort, we utilized a precise arrangement of variable-density foam within the ultra-slim cushions of the bar stools and sofas, thereby achieving a perfect balance between visually minimalist lines and a physically resilient, supportive feel.

The hotel’s operations team provided the following feedback: this collection of furniture has seamlessly bridged the visual divide between indoor and outdoor spaces. Moreover, even after enduring multiple rainy seasons, the metal and wood finishes in the terrace area remain pristine, showing no signs of fading or structural deformation. Guests have highly praised the comfort of the minimalist furniture in their rooms, noting that it successfully dispels the common misconception that artistic furniture must inherently sacrifice comfort. The owner regards our contribution as far more than mere furniture; rather, they view it as a collection of durable artistic pieces—specifically engineered to thrive within the complex environment of a historic building—that serve as a robust safeguard for the hotel’s long-term operational success.