Consider Darkness. Most architects seek to animate a space with light. Goethe’s last words were said to be “Mehr Licht! Has anyone ever said, “More darkness”?

I wonder if that’s precisely what the designers of the “W” Hotel’s interiors said…“More Darkness!” Darkness appears to be a design element that is used to advantage both interior environment and hotel guest. Darkness helps create a mysterious place, a hidden place, a sexy place. The record room, restaurant bar, tequila bar, and of course the secret bar have their own properly calibrated level of darkness. Reducing visibility helps extend the space and blur boundaries. The stair between 1 and 2 is fantastically dark. The translation between floors is safe, but also an adventure.

Is this darkness just an aesthetic of shadowy clubbiness? Perhaps, but if one compares it to the light filled spaces of the South Congress Hotel you might find the W uses darkness to welcome a wider range of clientele. Both hotels have no shortage of beautiful people; however, the W has created a place for the rest of us. Darkness helps hide middle age wrinkles, cellulite, varicose veins and the libidinous motives behind offering your lover one more drink.