TRISHA WILSON talks to SHALAKA PARADKAR about helming one of the biggest firms in interior design today

Trisha Wilson has built her business around a few key principles: “Do great work, treat others well, give to those less fortunate and success will follow.” Raised in Dallas, USA, she founded Wilson Associates in 1971. Best known for their work in the hospitality segment, Wilson Associates has designed over one million guest rooms all over the world, and has been consistently ranked as one of the top two firms in the hospitality design industry worldwide.

Wilson: Crisis has seeds of opportunity

Today, the 350-strong firm is headquartered in Dallas, with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Singapore, Johannesburg, Shanghai and Cochin. The firm’s design philosophy is simple: design for the client, for the market. It’s easy to see that this works given their annual revenues of more than $50 million and a client portfolio that features a host of international companies, including Kerzner International, Emaar, Shangri-la, Four Seasons Hotels, Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis Hotels, Disney, Rosewood Hotels & Resorts and Armani Hotels.

As is evident in their projects in the Middle East, among them the Atlantis, The Palm in Dubai and the Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah resort in Oman, Wilson Associates emphasises incorporating the art, culture, topography and heritage of a project’s location into their design scheme. Trisha Wilson spoke to us about her Middle Eastern experiences and her strategies for riding the recession.

When did you first move out of the USA to execute projects elsewhere? Which was your first project in the Middle East and what were your big learnings from that?
Securing the contract for the Palace of the Lost City in Sun City, South Africa, was a pivotal point for the company and led to our expansion overseas.  It catapulted Wilson Associates into a class all of our own.  Hotelier and developer, Sol Kerzner, brought us on to lead the design and since then we have worked on over 14 projects throughout the world together.  It was incredibly challenging bring his vision to life.  This project also introduced me to the country of South Africa that I have been in love with ever since.  

Mazagan: Royal suite

Wilson Associates had the opportunity to design a personal residence in Abu Dhabi for someone who had seen our work at the Palace of the Lost City.  It was a large job and enabled us to establish ourselves in the Middle East.  To some degree, it was a matter of being ‘in the right place at the right time.’ From that initial project we became known in the Middle East market and at the same time the hospitality market started booming.  We have been fortunate to design some of the most distinguished hotel addresses in the region.

We learned from the start that there are a number of issues to be considered when designing in the Middle East: Arabian culture and religion must be respected, as well as sense of place (separate environments for men and women), choice of artwork, etc.

Which aspects of your Middle East experience have you found unique to the region – especially in clients’ expectations and programmes? How did you adapt your design vocabulary to suit the region?
I have worked hard to not have a signature style, so for me it wasn’t about adapting my design vocabulary but rather broadening it. Wilson Associates designs for the market.  What I mean by that is we create each project to interpret the vision of our clients.  We incorporate a sense of place, use of local materials and artisans and inspirations drawn from the site and its surroundings on each project.

Communication is key. My focus has always been to listen to my clients requests and ask questions. It’s so important to also learn the aspects of the specific culture and recognise that impact on design. In this region an understanding of the difference between Middle Eastern and Western culture is crucial.

I have found our clients in the Middle East to be very open and interested in cutting-edge design, which is very exciting for us in the creative process. They push us to obtain new and unique sources, materials and applications. Every project is a new design challenge!

Culture-sensitive: Al Husn lobby lounge, Shangri-la Resort Oman

What would you rate as the biggest advantages and constraints of being headquartered in the US when you are competing for international projects?
Our clients really look to us for design expertise and feel Western design is much more of a luxury. Being headquartered in the US and working on projects spanning the globe gives us a true international design vocabulary, not limited to a specific regional style. We have been very fortunate to develop brand names within many different regions of the world. 

We live in a world with cutting-edge communication devices, such as video conferencing and email, which allow us to constantly be in communication and to interface, no matter where our team, consultants or clients are located. We are not constrained to meeting in person and can virtually work on a project in our global offices 24 hours a day. 

The main obstacle we face is time travel when we do need to schedule a face-to-face meeting. We feel we have remedied much of this though by having offices around the globe to better serve our clients. 

What have been some of your strategies to recover from the recession?
My goal in this current economy is to determine how we can create opportunities out of the challenges we face. As a small business owner, I am in a unique position to not only survive the tough times, but actually turn them to my advantage. I have always believed that flexibility is the key to weathering the storm, and those who survive are usually the most adaptable to changing circumstances. 

Current steps that I am taking include watching my cash flow as never before, and focussing on conserving the cash. You cannot unspend money. Also, I have never been one to follow forecasts or models, but have found myself seeking new priorities – there has never been a better time to reexamine your goals! These priorities include realising that where new development has slowed, opportunities for renovation have grown. Small changes through renovation can go a long way and have a big impact.

In addition, our focus is now on different aspects of the market – healthcare, commercial, senior living, specialty food and beverage design.  We recently launched BluePlate, a F&B studio that focuses on creating unique restaurant concepts worldwide.  We are approaching emerging markets as well. 

It’s important to keep in mind that in Chinese, the words for crisis and opportunity share a character.

ON THE BOARDS…

The Armani Hotel, Dubai: Upon completion, this hotel promises to be one of the most prestigious addresses in Dubai. Located in the Burj Khalifa, Giorgio Armani brings his luxurious, well-crafted and well-tailored design sensibility to this hotel, the first of many to be completed under the Armani label. Contemporary, modern and refined describe this highly detailed collaboration between Giorgio Armani and Wilson Associates.

Sofitel Dubai Sheikh Zayed Road: Scheduled to open 2012, this hotel will redefine sophisticated opulence, while still incorporating the signature Sofitel French touch.  The design embraces French irony, mixed with classic modern luxury creating a sensual environment of discovery for the guest.

Pullman Hotel at the Mall of the Emirates, Dubai: This four star business traveler oriented hotel is attached to the Mall of Emirates Dubai and is the first Pullman hotel for Wilson Associates. The design is modern contemporary with a nod to traditional Arabic design motifs. Clean lines accentuate the simple and organized design.
Other current work includes a series of private royal residential developments within the area.

Early work: Crystal Court at The Palace of the Lost City

PROJECTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST

To date, the firm has designed and installed more than 1,000,000 guestrooms in hundreds of hotels worldwide. Some of their works in the region include: 

Kempinski Hotel Dubai: The Kempinski defines a new lifestyle destination and a central attraction in Dubai, the hotel guarantees an unmatched Alpine experience. The main concept behind the design was to engage the travelers 5 senses. This is translated in the form of highly textured surfaces, water features, and backlit panels.

Shangri-La Hotel, Qaryat Al Beri: This property is a supreme waterfront resort enhanced with Shangri-La hospitality. The design impact was positioned to create a positive emotional connection with each guest, offering a new level of warmth and comfort.

The Palace, The Old Town: Here the client was looking for an Arabic-Western mix for a family style city resort with a comfortable and relaxed atmosphere.  Our design team mixed this with a Moroccan inspiration very much echoing the architectural, cultural and “hip” history of Tangier. 

Atlantis, The Palm: For The Atlantis on The Palm Jumeirah, our design team traveled approximately half-a-million miles over six years for our work on this property.  It was our goal to create a luxurious escape into this mythical fantasy through incorporation of exotic and beautiful materials, ancient artifacts and stunning sculpture.