Baz Luhrmann, director of the Great Gatsby and his set designer/filmmaker wife, Catherine Martin have embarked on a brand new design project and this time, it is not something that you will see on the silver screen.
The creative couple will reportedly be redesigning the iconic Saxony Hotel in Miami for the upcoming Faena District, according to several news reports. For the first time, the duo will be deflecting from their usual showbiz design and take the tools of their trade to a sector never entered - real estate.
The couple will now join other big shots like Rem Koolhaas, Roman & Williams, Lord Norman Foster etc, roped in for the project. They will not only be designing the interiors of the Saxony hotel but will also be doing the uniforms and cultural programming for the hotel, reports Curbed.
The Saxony hotel was built in 1948 by George D. Sax and was designed by startchitect Roy F. France. It was one of the first luxury resorts to be built in Miami.
At the opening of The Great Gatsby at the Cannes Film festival, Baz was approached by , Len Blavatnik, a development partner in the Faena District project.
"Len said to me, 'I've got this very small, independent, low-budget project.' I heard the words 'small,' 'independent' and 'low-budget,' and thought, 'Well, that has our name written all over it'," Baz told The Hollywood Reporter.
"It's incredible to be working on a project that is really about trying to realize something beyond the ordinary, which is something Baz and I always work within the imaginary world of the cinema. It's incredible to be collaborating with people who work with it in reality," Catherine added.
The couple is no stranger to Miami. They have lived in the place for about two years while working on 'Rome + Juliet' and it was reportedly their first home in America, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.
Baz and Catherine did a splendid job conjuring the sets of The Great Gatsby. The period's authenticity, the dazzling lavishness of Jay Gatsby's parties and his huge beachfront home were spectacular in the movie.
For the movie, Catherine oversaw 42 separate locations in and around Sydney. Apparently, it took the set designing team around 14 weeks to do up the sets in the chosen locations. The Gatsby Mansion, the library, the entrance hall, the ballroom, the terrace and even the master bedroom have all been done up to achieve the authenticity of the period. Head over to the Architectural Digest for some marvellous pictures of the sets.
About the Faena District Project
The Faena District Project is an upcoming luxury residential, cultural and commercial space at Miami Beach, Florida, which is being developed by developer Alan Faena and businessman partner Len Blavatnik.
Faena writes on the official website:
In Miami Beach, we are creating a new epicenter for the city.
Acting as curators, we are commissioning a group of standout talents to create an urban installation without equal.
This installation is a perfect balance between art, architecture, nature and technology, and has been conceived to enhance people's lives. The interconnection between humanity and nature embodies our holistic southern vision.
Check out a video of renderings of the upcoming project below:
