Hôtel Swessan opens in Dallas, Texas

The design of Hôtel Swexant in Dallas looks like a city, with a playful name that combines developer Gabriel Barbier Muller's Swiss heritage with Texas vernacular. The commercial-looking façade, designed in consultation with Kengo Kuma, is as austere and sophisticated as the surrounding towers, but its interior has an international design inspired by an array of the world's great cities. We offer you a welcome.

Mr. Kuma, who has designed several projects with Harwood, including the nearby Rolex building, said of the Swede: “We were assigned the task of designing a building's façade. For us, it was like tailoring a suit. Precise and crisp with a Swiss approach, using local materials and with a Texas spirit. The horizontal and vertical dimensions are built on a theme found throughout Harwood's projects: a loosely woven grid. It must feel created for the rich diversity of the world, be welcoming and feature surprising moments and movements at every turn. We combine local tradition with international modernity. We are interested in the continuity between: this outer coat sets the mood and can be worn throughout the day as the light changes, from morning to dusk to evening.”

Hôtel Swexan opens in Dallas' Harwood neighborhood

The linearity of the exterior is softened internally by the use of more than 100 different types of natural stone and wood, carefully sourced from a variety of suppliers. According to the in-house design team, architectural elements were inspired by his classic 19th-century Paris mansion converted into a hotel, with comfortable yet elegant furniture and intricate design on each floor of the hotel. Features hand-carved stone and a wood-burning fireplace.

Each floor is designed to be a unique immersive experience, revealing itself as a work of art when the elevator doors open. Consider his 20th floor with an infinity-edge swimming pool and a Moroccan-style deck overlooking the Dallas skyline. In his private social club on the 7th floor, executive chef Taylor Carney heads up his Swethan signature steakhouse, Still Wells.

The hotel's 134 residential guest rooms feature floor-to-ceiling windows and unique bathrooms with a variety of wallpapers, lighting, sink fixtures, floors, and tiles. Each of the hotel's 10 premium suites has a unique design, and the public spaces are decorated with art, including a piece of Japanese samurai armor from Barbier and his wife Muller's personal collection.

The hotel's opening marks the culmination of the developer's 50-year effort to transform the 19-block “Harwood District” into a pedestrian-only place to live and play, a Dallas version of Vancouverism. But Swezan's luxurious, self-contained surroundings are so inviting that guests might easily confine themselves to their rooms while remaining connected to the city through the tower's stunning views.

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