Hotel Essence

Hotel Essence is a hotel refurbishment and conversion project located in central Bucharest. The concept aims to transform an existing structure into a contemporary hospitality destination, upgrading both its functionality and visual identity while integrating respectfully into the surrounding urban context.

The intervention preserves the existing volumetry and urban alignment while reconfiguring the internal layout for hotel operations, improving circulation, optimizing room distribution, and upgrading all technical systems. The ground floor is redesigned to open up toward the public realm with transparent, accessible reception and service areas, contributing to the street’s vibrancy and pedestrian experience.

Architecturally, the building gains a renewed façade with a balanced mix of contemporary materials and vertical accents, maintaining visual coherence with adjacent structures while establishing a distinct identity. A key element of the concept is the integration of a rounded corner volume that mediates between the existing heritage context and the modernized vertical extension.

Hotel Essence aligns with current urban regulations applicable to existing structures in Bucharest and has been designed to allow efficient permitting and phased execution. The building accommodates both short-term stays and extended formats, depending on operator strategy, and supports sustainable operation through improved energy performance, façade insulation, and rooftop systems readiness.