Opened in January 2016, the Hotel Nomad is located in the heart of Basel’s art and business district and impresses with its unique architecture. The former apartment house from the 1950s has been carefully renovated by Buchner Bründler architects in connection with the historic preservation of the building.
The Nomad is based on an independent and individual concept. The striking industrial feel of the original concrete architecture meets with furniture and fixtures made from oak and the softly textured Kinnasand kelims.
These are made of pure new wool from New Zealand, handwoven using a centuries-old technique developed by the nomads. They stand out for their slightly iridescent, vivid texture of the natural yarn. The abrash character, created by subtle dyeing and a special wash, has always been a distinctive feature of the special art of kelim weaving.
The woven kelims that come in different patterns and colour schemes are designed in collaboration with the interior architects GREGO and support the homely atmosphere in the design concept. They are, both in their motifs, graphic proportions and colour scheme, a contemporary interpretation of the ancient handcraft tradition, which finds its inspiration, not in the Middle or Far East, but in our own local culture.
JASMIN GREGO
Woven in a standard and a light version, the kelims have been applied to various interior elements in the Nomad, from carpeting in the front building, on the upholstery of furniture, to the acoustically absorbent panels on the ceiling of the restaurant. Due to the non-industrial processing of the natural wool, created by hand on large looms, and their irregularities in texture and colour, the kelims become an independent building material.