The Problematic Discourse on ’Philippe Starck’s’ Delano Hotel (1999) - Writing analysis

Appendix D. Details for Claims about Cumulative Angles— by Individual Article

Appendix D: Details for Claims about Cumulative Angles— by Individual Article

The following is a detailed list of angles.

A. Newspaper Material

A variety of newspaper angles are employed. For the news report, New York Post (25 February 1999) announces the mysterious blaze at the Delano. Previously, Young in New York Times House and Home section (10 December 1998) announces the new beach village. For features on the Delano: Ball in New Orleans Times-Picayune travel section (3 December 1995) profiles the hotel around the author bringing her 80-year-old mother, and sister, for her mother’s birthday— with a New Orleans, down-home sensibility; Brulee in The Guardian arts section (18 September 1995) profiles "America’s hottest hotel"; Herman in Dallas Morning News Travel section (16 June 1996) profiles the Delano as "an eccentric millionaire of hotels" and is very press kit focal point-oriented; Hubbard in The Financial Post (31 January 1998) angles his profile on "the Delano [as] centre for South Beach action— and a place to escape it" with many focal point hits; Koncius in The Washington Post Home section (6 July 1995) angles the Delano with the question: "A design icon for the 90s?" written a week after the opening, with incorporation of quotations by Starck and Schrager and several content hits; The Palm Beach Post in Atlanta Constitution Travel section (27 August 1995) announces the hotel opening as "a new deal" and "the chicest of the chic in a town that values haute style over everything"; Ryan in The Times Travel section (2 July 1995) profiles a "new, unusually understated hotel"; and Tuck in The Independent Travel section (29 June 1997) angles his piece around Starck-Schrager upcoming London hotels followed by a detailed experience of the pitfalls of the hotel’s aura.

For selected "Starck" and "Starck-centred" pieces in newspapers, Myerson in The Financial Times How to Spend It section (25 November 1995) profiles Starck’s latest professional "reinvention" as "moral man of the mass market"— the Delano hotel is mentioned and described in this context as a recently completed and "important" new project for the designer, and Starck apparently— and dramatically— hints at giving up interior design work. Meanwhile, in a Starck-angled piece by Ward in Atlanta Constitution Dixie Living section (14 August 1994), the writer profiles the hotel prior to the opening and announces the hotel’s plans; Wilson in USA Today Life section (31 November 1998) profiles Starck’s hotels, his designs, and design approach. The Delano, the apparent site of the interview, is addressed in about 1/3 of the article.

For Schrager-oriented newspaper articles, Anthony in The Observer Life Magazine (6 September 1998) angles his piece around the upcoming London hotel possibilities and the writer’s apparent in-crowd experience at the Royalton hotel, embedded with a historical narrative on Schrager hotels. The Delano receives a fleeting sentence mention as one of the other Starck-designed hotels; Blackerby in Palm Beach Post Accent section (28 August 1998) profiles Schrager, his hotels, and recent activities around an update of "still selling excitement". The Delano receives brief mention and is included as an example that celebrities "flock" to his hotels; Evertz in St. Petersburg Times Floridian section (26 July 1998) announces that Schrager "is fast becoming the nation’s (and maybe the world’s) primo innkeeper". The Delano acts as an example of one of his properties; Parkes in Financial Times Monday Profile section (28 October 1996) profiles Schrager, and the renovation work / business interests of the Mondrian hotel. The Delano is mentioned in a fleeting sentence as one "of his ventures"; Rawthorn in Financial Times Business Travel section (2 January 1996) profiles Schrager’s hotels and includes statements about the Delano’s lifestyle-oriented popularity, working with Starck, the cost of the renovation, how he licenses hotel services out, and a statement suggesting Schrager’s eccentric perfection. Regarding the articles approaching Schrager’s hotel-fight with his restauranteer Brian McNally, Bone in The Times Overseas News section (28 February 1998) angles his article around a British vs American rift with a historical example leading into Schrager and McNally (a Brit). The Delano is mentioned as the site of the Blue Door restaurant, formerly co-owned by McNally and Madonna. Letts in The Times (24 March 1997) follows this— the British vs. American thread continues. According to Letts, McNally will open a new hotel the following year with one of Schrager’s associates— a block and a half down from the Delano.

For South Beach-centred articles, Binkley in Wall Street Journal Florida Journal section (13 March 1996) uses a two-paragraph description of the Delano— including "well-to-do guests", celebrities, and its "$23 million" renovation as an opener to "Blighted isn’t the word that comes to mind", to discuss the controversial designation of the area as a "community redevelopment district"— which facilitates public subsidies; Bower in The Independent Travel section (20 April 1997) angles his piece around the glamour of South Beach contrasting with the property speculation and threats to small businesses and the lower-income community that initiated the revival. The Delano is exemplified essentially as one of the threats; Cunningham in The Guardian Travel section (24 May 1997) profiles South Beach— including its pastel colors, its media and entertainment industry atmosphere, designer hotel frenzy, down-market hotels, and nightlife. The Delano is "the coolest hotel"; Griffith in Financial Times Business Travel section (25 March 1996) surveys the city including transport, hotels, restaurants, nightlife, day trips. The Delano is "the most elegant hotel on Miami Beach"; Grimes in New York Times (3 May 1998) focuses on South Beach dining— and profiles and reviews the restaurant Blue Door. For designer hotel surveys, Palazzo in Newsday (1 April 1999) angles her piece around the event that certain hotels are selling their decor. The "Nun’s beds" in the Delano are sold via Cassina; Thorncroft in Financial Times (2 March 1996) profiles Miami Beach, and the Delano, and it starts with "Madonna owns the restaurant"; Yee in Palm Beach Post Travel section (24 January 1999) also profiles the Blue Door restaurant embedded in a South Beach survey. [26]

For other themes in newspapers, designer hotel surveys include: Garratt’s piece in The Sunday Times Style section (6 April 1997) is angled around Schrager coming to London and perhaps competing with the designer hotels the Hempel and the Metropolitan. The Delano is addressed within discussion about his properties where "People travel to Miami just to stay at the Delano; Madonna is a partner in the restaurant..." and "The Delano, he says, was specifically designed for families..."; Thomas in New Orleans Times-Picayune Money section (20 September 1998) announces boutique hotels are coming to New Orleans, and the Delano exemplifies one of Schrager’s hotels as an example of the boutique hotel approach; Murphy in The Observer (5 January 1997) offers newness in the form of "The newest coolest hotels around the world offer beguiling luxury beneath a whitewash of restrained simplicity". The Delano is an example— along with the Hempel in London— and occupies about 1/3 of the copy.

Meanwhile, in other newspaper genres, Waller’s Letter to the New York Times (3 January 1999) counters Philip Johnson’s praise of Starck xxxx xxxxx xxxxxx xxxx xxxxx xxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx xxx xxxx xxx xxx ; in the "Best of" genre, the Miami New Times (15 May 1997) announces that "Delia at the Delano", a fictional book of an 8-year-old’s tour of the Delano, is the "Best book to be discontinued"— as a lawsuit was threatened as it was felt that the book was too similar to one at a New York hotel.

B. Magazine Material

The eight samples which I identify as lifestyle press material include a variety of markets and focuses, yet are perhaps better termed as "non-specialist press". For features on the Delano, Tyrnauer in Vanity Fair (June 1995) angles his 6-page piece around the phenomenon of the opening of the hotel in a literary way which employs several of the content "hits" of the design, people involved and background, and how the hotel was developed; Lindberg in Travel & Leisure (1 October 1995) employs several content "hits" and talks about the writer’s experience at the hotel. With a Schrager emphasis, Konigsberg in New York (10 March 1997) writes a biting and bitchy piece centred on working with Schrager with several in-your-face quotes. This includes characterizations of Rande Gerber, who is in charge of some bars at Ian Schrager Hotels, as being "a bit thick" by a business associate of restauranteer Brian McNally; The Delano is discussed regarding the financial dealings concerning the Blue Door restaurant. In Letts in Harpers & Queen (June 1997), Schrager is profiled within the context of his upcoming hotels in London and it draws into his current properties. The Delano receives a specific paragraph mention illustrating some of the design notables within the context of its architectural location. On designer hotels, Lassell in Metropolitan Home (1 March 1997) lists the Delano as an example of a "high-design" hotel; Muse in House Beautiful (November 1998) introduces the notion of the designer hotel, refers to Starck-Schrager hotels, and their "virtually wordless" promotional material. (Clearly, if we are to believe Muse’s assertion, he must have received only the brochure and not the press kit or is only referring to it); and Withers in Harper’s Bazaar (1 October 1998) features designer hotels as becoming big business in a 7+ page article, and the Delano is briefly mentioned as one of Schrager’s properties. In a South Beach feature, Marin in New York (16 February 1998) updates developments in the area. The Delano is mentioned in passing regarding lobby atmosphere and the whiteness of the hotel.

For the Delano-centred art and design trade press writings, the angles include: a Whoriskey in Progressive Architecture (December 1995) news report announcement around the media attention given to the hotel, and claims "it is well deserved". For features, Bartolucci angles her piece around a "reinvention of the grand hotel"; Mays in Historic Preservation, angles his approach— which is the odd one out of the writings— around the preservation issues surrounding the design, yet "balances the piece" with the noteworthy design result; for Nasatir in Interior Design (1995), "the latest destination-making venture" is "a surreal, dreamy anti-resort", and utilizes several content "hits".

Art and design press features focused on Starck and Schrager which mention the Delano include: on Starck, Architecture Interieure Cree (1996) includes an academic-toned, English summary of Starck design characteristics— the Delano exemplifies these; Russell in Graphis (January 1995 / February 1996) profiles Starck and the article is angled around the creation of the Delano, with several content "hits". For Starck / Schrager-centred combinations, MacInnes in World Architecture (November 1996) offers side-by-side, separately published interviews of the pair with the angle of "mutual dependence". The Delano is specifically referred to in the context of being comparable to the other hotels in terms of "renovation"; Young in FX, which acts as a Q & A of Schrager and Starck done after the completion of the Delano, is angled around "a new serious of tone" from Starck; meanwhile, for Rothstein in Graphis (September / October 1997), the focus is on Schrager and his hotels in a flowing, non-threatening narrative, and the Delano is allocated considerable attention with content "hits".

Lastly, regarding award announcements, for Russell in Architectural Record (May 1997), the Delano is briefly described as an award recipient due to its interior design by the American Institute of Architects. For Webb in Hospitality Design (November / December 1996), the Delano is listed as a "Gold Key Awards finalist" with a two-page photo-dominated piece and two-paragraph description of the design. Meanwhile, across designer hotels, Klemp in Daidalos (December 1996) constructs a historical narrative of the designer hotel with recent developments, and the Delano is first categorized as "in America", and then in the Starck-Schrager approach with a brief one-sentence mention.

For weeklies, Miller in Newsweek (10 July 1995) first offers a four-paragraph profile on the hotel wrapped around the inherent question: is this really a family-style hotel as publicized? Two years later, Miller in Newsweek (24 February 1997) profiles Schrager’s current and ambitious future plans, which is introduced by the Mondrian hotel opening. Bohner Lewis in Forbes (4 December 1995) shapes a one-paragraph irony of Schrager speaking at the Harvard Business School with the topic "How to make a comeback", yet the author questions this in light of xxx xxxx xxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx</span.

For industry trade publications, Blum in Travel Weekly (14 April 1997) focusing on several content "hits" and angles around "the Delano has become a magnet for many"; In a visually-based one-page piece, Meetings and Conventions (1 October 1995) offer a detailed shot of a white guest room with a one-sentence caption; Rowe in Lodging Hospitality (August 1995) approaches Schrager and his hotels, with reference to the recent opening and dynamics at the Delano with an emphasis on Schrager’s approach and business information; Scoviak-Lerner in Hotels (May 1997) surveys Schrager hotels angled around "Schrager has elevated trendsetting design to a fiscal art"; Sheridan in Restaurants & Institutions (1 November 1998) discusses changes in hotel dining approaches driven by customer demand with reference to the Delano’s Blue Door restaurant and includes a "wheel out sushi cart and mobile ice cream parlor designed by Philippe Starck"; Successful Meetings (December 1995) profiles the new Delano Blue Door and restauranteer Brian McNally; Jordan in South Florida Business Journal (15 May 1998) approaches the newness of the phenomenon of boutique hotels in South Florida, the Delano receives a brief mention as an example. Lastly, for wires, Business Wire (19 November 1998) announces to journalists and editors that "Ian Schrager will guide Miami Beach mayor... on a tour of the Delano’s newest offerings."

C. Book Material

Meanwhile, for the three Starck-survey books, Taschen (1996) uses its photo-saturated genre and adopts the "design as genius" approach. Fronted by over 200 photographs, the book provides a selection across design media, with the Delano allocated seven pages. Most of the photographs centre on the visual focal points Starck offers with the design. The texts include a one-page essay by Ed Mae Cooper (whose essay was faxed by Starck’s office with his CV) and the Delano is mentioned in a series of many interior designs amidst a list of international location "hits". Two interviews follow the Cooper piece: one by Pierre Doze, former public relations person at Starck’s office; and another with Sophie Tasma Anargyros, editor of Le Mobilier Francais 1980 which published Starck’s design in a compilation. The genres of these interviews consist of the published interview genre and consist of a somewhat free-form artistic statement that doesn’t specifically address the Delano or other designs.

xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxx xxxx xxxxx Meanwhile Art Books (1996) published by Electra/Alessi in Milan, consists of a 19-page interview of Starck by Alberto Alessi, edited by Marco Meneguzzo, with a one-page introduction by Meneguzzo, which talks about design philosophy and abstract approaches. The drawings and images focus on products, with an abundance of kitchen product designs. Alessi represents Starck’s products, yet this is not clearly identified within the figure information. Lastly, the book by Sweet (1998) is in a book series of "profiles [of] contemporary designers who matter" (inside jacket) and offers a two-page introduction by Sweet, a nine-page published interview and interspersed statements by Starck, followed by a large number of photographs greatly focusing on his products as opposed to his interiors, and a selected chronology. Surprisingly, his hotels are minimized with only a tiny photo of the Delano exterior and poolside (p. 61), and it is not mentioned in the text, and the overall effect is a one-of-many-designs experience. The overall theme is a celebration of Starck, the design genius.

For references to the above mentioned article, see Bibliography A, with writings listed by genre, or Bibliography B for an alphabetized list.

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