DesignSolutionsProblem: The Beacon Hotel opened last month in Sandyford, Dublin 18, by the Fitzpatrick Group has a wow factor few hotels can match.

Architect Brian MacDonald was called on to design the interiors, as well as the structure of the building.

A Dubliner, he has many impressive projects under his belt: he worked on The Morrison with John Rocha, won Designer of The Year for Ron Black's Bar on Dawson Street and also designed the 40 Foot Restaurant in Dún Laoghaire.

The Beacon has a fairly unusual style, one that fits with international hotel trends to make their place memorable.

It should be an event to stay there, so the theory goes.

At The Beacon, this means high drama with, for example, Asian artefacts, padded lifts with chandeliers, a curved double height wall of white flowing curtain, Philippe Starck furniture . . . it's what you might call eclectic. The reception was one area of the interior that Brian put much thought into.

"There's a lot of space and it needed a focal point, a communal area that would be a bit of fun." It also needed to be enough of a design statement to set the tone for the rest of the hotel.

Solution: Brian had a traditional Indonesian bed made to his design. A circular hole is cut from the padded leather "mattress" and a small table placed in the centre.

You've got to be nimble to approach it: those who are curious must swing their legs over the seating and into the open circle in order to sit.

It achieves what he wanted to do and is one of things most visitors remember on leaving the hotel.

"It makes the place feel less serious," says Brian, "a fun element that's a bit tongue in cheek. A bed in a lobby isn't what you expect in a hotel. It's a way for people to interact, if only to say "what on earth was he thinking!"

Brian believes the bed provides common ground as means to start a conversation, a theme that is followed through to the bar where long tables also make for interaction.

Just as importantly to the atmosphere of the place, the out of context bed also provides a link through to the bar and restaurant beyond, both of which have a similar mix of styles.

By the way, behind the bed are mirrored panels, all slightly tilted and angled to reflect different aspects of the room and hung with small shelves on which rest candles to bring a certain amount of warmth to the room.

Beacon Court Hotel

01 xxxxxxx

Brian Mac Donald

Design Farm, 01 6711800.