CITIZENM BEST CLIENT OF THE NETHERLANDS 2009
‘world concept' is paragon of renewal
Eindhoven, 13 October 2009 - citizenM has been chosen as the Best Client of the Netherlands 2009 and the winner of one of the special awards of the Dutch Design Awards (DDA). According to the professional jury, citizenM has been selected because the company "deploys design as the driving force in creating the vision, management, and entrepreneurship of this world-renewing concept." The award is an expression of the fact that DDA recognises the important relationship between designer and client and aims to reward proper clientship. Apart from citizenM, also Ziggo, Cityroofs, GMG and the City of Amsterdam competed for this award. All participants were recommended by bureaus that cooperate with them. The Best Client Award will be presented during the Award Show on 17 October in Muziekcentrum Frits Philips in Eindhoven.
JURY REPORT
The professional jury for the Best Client Award, which consisted of Conny Bakker (chairwoman), Gert Kootstra, Peter Kersten and Walter Amerika, unanimously voted for citizenM: "This year, we were looking for a paragon of renewal in which design is the driving force to create the vision, management or entrepreneurship as well as a tool for the creation of economic and social values. We found this paragon in citizenM, not just one of the above-mentioned criteria, but on all of them! Although all cases showed a high level, citizenM stood out on all fronts. From day one, they openly involved all parties concerned in the possibility of ‘reinventing' the hotel business. This shows great confidence in the power of the design. Everything, from mission statement to spatial design, from brand to construction, and from ICT technology to art, is managed from one vision, which allows the offices concerned to experience a high degree of partnership. citizenM's special relationship with the development partners ensures a form of co-creation. One of these partners has actually become a shareholder. We congratulate citizenM with its ‘world concept' and its 21st century way of thinking, acting, and venturing. citizenM is an internationally inspirational example of design as a leading business principle."
citizenM
citizenM is a new international chain of hotels, focused on a new kind of traveller; the 'citizen Mobile'. The philosophy behind citizenM is ‘affordable luxury for the people'. The central theme of continuous innovation has led to a new hotel type that is innovative thanks to a revolutionary modular building style, far-reaching IT integration, technology and design, a completely new operational concept, out of the box branding and an entirely web-based sales concept. This combination leads to a very high-quality hotel at an attractive price. In 2008 and 2009, the first two hotels were opened at Schiphol and in the South of Amsterdam, and in the coming years, 20 more hotels will open in Europe and the United States. Carel van Houte, CDO at citizenM, is pleased with the Award: "Innovation and design are intertwined with our product, but also with all our business processes. citizenM works from a central philosophy whereby a group of internal and external creatives ensures that the basic principles are secured in the long term. Thanks to the close cooperation with Concrete and KesselsKramer and the partnerships with Vitra and Philips, this type of innovation is linked with consistency."
Dutch Design Awards
Dutch Design Awards are the renowned awards for the very best Dutch Design available. The annual event comprises the competition, an international travelling exhibition, and the production of the Dutch Design Yearbook 2009. These activities ensure a platform for the annual presentation and recognition of the very best of Dutch design - across the full width of the design field. For this 7th edition of these internationally recognised professional awards, 74 finalists have been selected from more than 700 projects. The winners - competing for a total of 20 Awards in the main categories of Communication, Product, and Spatial - are chosen by an international jury and will be announced during the celebratory Award Show on 17 October 2009 in Muziekcentrum Frits Philips. Also the winners of awards in the following special categories : The Golden Eye (most successful design of 2009), the Audi Design Award (public award), the Rado Young Designer Award (incentive award for young talent), the Best Client Award, and the BNO - Piet Zwart Life Time Achievement Award will be announced on this occasion. The designs of all finalists and winners will subsequently be exhibited for one week in the Brainport Greenhouse on the Stadhuisplein in Eindhoven during Dutch Design Week.
For more information and ticket sales: www.dutchdesignawards.nl.
Design Connection Brainport in Eindhoven is responsible for the project management of the Dutch Design Awards, by order of the Municipality of Eindhoven. The City of Eindhoven and the City of Helsinki are together in the race for the title of World Design Capital 2012.
Dutch Design Awards has been made possible by the Municipality of Eindhoven, BNO, Design Connection Brainport, Audi, Rado, Studio Dumbar, Lecturis printing company, BÏ‹hrmannUbbens, Toon van Tuijl Designprijs, Brainport Development, Dutch Design Week, Eigen Huis & Interieur, Items.