We are delighted that our work on The Grand Hotel Birmingham was shortlisted in the CGI & Visualisation category of the SBID International Design Awards 2021.

The awards are considered to be among the most prestigious in the global interior design, product design and fit-out industries. They aim to recognise the highest level of design excellence across the commercial and residential sectors, and attract entries from companies in more than 85 countries.

The judging panel comprises leading industry experts who assess projects on a wide range of elements, from the design scheme, materials used and products specified through to the final fit-out installation. Each finalist is evaluated by industry-leading experts for functionality, technical merit, creative delivery and ability to inspire.

This is the third time in recent years that VR has been recognised by the SBID Awards. In 2019, we were shortlisted for our series of CGIs for the cutting-edge new restaurant Fritz & Felix in Baden Baden, Germany. The images enabled the design team to choose the perfect materials for the restaurant, as well as demonstrating the plans to guests and clients before the restaurant opened. For Fritz & Felix as well as The Grand Hotel, we worked with our long-term client, the specialist interior design firm Robert Angell Design International.

And in 2017 we won the SBID’s CGI & Visualisation Award for our work to support the redevelopment of the DeVere Tortworth Court Hotel in South Gloucestershire.

Our work on The Grand Hotel Birmingham was part of a major £45m project to breathe new life into one of the city’s most treasured buildings. Built in 1879, The Grand Hotel was once the go-to place for the rich and famous but, by the 1990s, the Grade II* listed building had fallen into decline, and it closed in 2002.

It was an absolute pleasure to be part of this amazing renovation scheme and to collaborate with such a great design team to create a series of CGIs that showcased the beauty, elegance and history of such a landmark building.

Key to this was the recreation within the CGIs of existing features such as the stone façade, ornate ceilings, mosaic tiled floors, resplendent grand staircase and sumptuous Grosvenor Ballroom.

Additionally, the new interior styling, fixtures and fittings were designed to inject a contemporary element that enhanced the luxury and opulence of the original features.

Take a look at the images and more details about The Grand Hotel Birmingham on the Projects page of our website here.