Motionspot and Ryder Architecture Crowned Winners

Held at the Palace of Westminster, the international competition to design an accessible hotel room of the future was run in association with the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and Bespoke Hotels.  The competition attracted entries from around the world including Germany, Russia, Hong Kong and Canada.  Entrants competed across a range of categories, including Product and Service Design, as well as the Celia Thomas Prize, worth £20,000 – believed to be the largest cash prize in the UK for a design concept.

Specialist accessible design company, Motionspot and international design practice, Ryder Architecture’s collaborative winning entry – AllGo, is a unique, universal approach to hotel room design to ensure that all rooms are functional, flexible, accessible and beautiful in their design.  Each room can be adapted to the needs of the user through integrated and flexible design features that can be modified before the arrival of the guest.

Motionspot and Ryder will now look to realise the design concepts and aim to roll out pilot rooms in the coming year.  It is hoped this will act as a catalyst illustrating the potential of a hotel environment, delivering beautiful, functional and fully accessible rooms.

Ed Warner, founder of Motionspot said, “Accessible hotel room design can be a real headache for architects, hotel operators and users alike.  In collaboration with Ryder, the competition gave us the opportunity to create a concept that redefines the design of hotel bedrooms and bathrooms so they deliver the individual access requirements of guests without compromising on the aesthetics of the environment.”

David McMahon, associate at Ryder said, “We are extremely proud of the concept we have developed.  Our collaboration with Motionspot has allowed us to create aspirational and inclusive environments for all.  We hope that this paves the way in accessible design illustrating that good design should meet the needs of all.”

The entries were judged by a panel which included Paralympic gold medallist Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, Stirling Prize winning architect Alan Stanton, and Baroness Celia Thomas herself, gathered in the Autumn to assess the submissions.