Pennod 3 04 Wal

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-In this programme, we visit XVA,

-a hotel and art gallery in Dubai.

-Baby Grand in Greece

-is a whimsical, unique hotel.

-First, the Malmaison in Oxford,

-a luxury hotel which was a prison.

-Welcome to 04Wal Gwestai'r Byd.

-Welcome to Malmaison Hotel, Oxford.

-My limited French

-tells me Malmaison means evil house.

-This was a prison until 1996.

-Prior to that,

-it was a Norman castle...

-..built by William the Conqueror

-in the 11th century.

-It's not as foreboding

-as it was back then.

-This isn't my idea

-of doing porridge!

-You must have

-an extremely vivid imagination...

-..to create a luxury hotel

-within what was a prison.

-When you enter the building,

-you get a feeling of space.

-The ceiling is high

-and the welcome is warm.

-The high-backed comfortable chairs

-somehow add to the headroom.

-People once plotted

-to escape from this building...

-..but it is now a place

-where people come to escape!

-This is the image we have

-of the traditional prison.

-This is what my parents threatened

-me with when I was five years old!

-It's the last place

-you'd want to be.

-It's amazing what a difference a

-coat of paint, striking lighting...

-..some additional windows

-and carpet on the floor make.

-It now feels like a comfortable,

-contemporary, luxurious design.

-It's a really clever design.

-It feels slightly ecclesiastical.

-That's probably intentional

-to help prisoners save their souls.

-It's also practical because you can

-reach any cell on any floor quickly.

-That practical uniformity also makes

-this a perfect building for a hotel.

-Even though you know

-you're staying in a prison...

-..you don't really expect

-to stay in a cell!

-They must have

-knocked two cells into one here.

-Yes, the old cell divide

-is clearly visible.

-This was actually three cells.

-This is one cell, that's the second

-and the bathroom is the third.

-Nine people shared this space.

-Good grief!

-What's the idea behind

-the split colours in the headboard?

-I'm not sure...

-..but the colours on the headboard

-are also on the RSJs.

-That's your side and this is my side!

-There's a touch

-of the coral on the headboard...

-..in the check on the wardrobe

-and in the fabric on the chair seat.

-There are things which

-unify the design all over the room.

-Iron studs are used on the mirror

-and on the side of the chair.

-It's simple but very effective.

-I love the fact they've kept

-some original prison features...

-..such as this door.

-Yes, if only this door could talk!

-They've turned the spy hole

-from the outside to the inside!

-Yes, they're playing on the irony

-of then and now.

-There are gimmicks everywhere,

-like this I Want To Be Alone sign!

-You see touches like this

-all over the hotel...

-.these little messages.

-What is this room, Leah?

-This is the Visitor Room.

-This is where people

-visited the prisoners.

-It is now a relaxation room.

-It's really luxurious, isn't it?

-It's really luxurious, isn't it?

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-It's certainly very dramatic.

-The colours and the furniture

-draw you into the room.

-The walls are very dark.

-There's a Black Watch tartan carpet

-on the floor.

-There's an intimate feel to it, and

-light is an important part of that.

-The lights are quite low.

-The original windows blend perfectly

-with the modern furniture.

-These velvet chairs are great

-and they're brilliantly lit.

-I love the fact

-they're so over the top.

-You have an urge to sit in them.

-You have an urge to sit in them.

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-Yes, I want to park my bottom there!

-The suites in this part of the jail

-are named after former governors.

-These suites

-are bigger than the cells.

-We're in Thomas Lowton Robins suite,

-at the moment...

-..and the first thing you see when

-you walk in is this copper bath.

-It may seem strange to walk

-straight into the bathroom...

-..but it would grace any space

-in any room.

-There's a cinema at that end.

-A private cinema.

-You then step downstairs

-into the bedroom.

-As you come downstairs, you see

-a magnificent four-poster bed.

-It wasn't like this

-in Thomas Lowton Robins's day!

-This space gives us

-not only additional light...

-..but also a chance to hang

-striking artwork on the wall.

-As we come down here,

-there's another huge television.

-How much more pleasure

-can you squeeze into a suite?

-Well, there's another bathroom here!

-In it, there's a

-sunflower shower head...

-..and toiletries

-to make you shine like a new penny.

-Stephanie Briggs was the chief

-Malmaison interior designer.

-The adventurous conversion

-of the cells continues...

-..in the bar and the restaurant.

-You couldn't have sold this concept

-to people 30 years ago.

-The age in which we're living

-has allowed it to happen.

-Yes, people

-want to experience everything.

-This is like a modern-day museum.

-Years ago, people visiting Oxford

-found this hotel.

-It's changed because people now come

-to stay here, first and foremost.

-They're not here to see Oxford.

-Yes, and it's all been done

-in a witty manner.

-The concept is quite alien

-and a bit chilling...

-..but this modern design

-has created a comfortable hotel.

-Yes, and it makes you smile.

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-We're on the first floor

-of Baby Grand Hotel, Athens.

-No, it isn't the car park.

-It's the reception area!

-Our journey begins in the garden.

-In the shadow of the Acropolis and

-the ancient traditions of Athens...

-..the Baby Grand wasn't created

-by one architect or one designer.

-An army of graffiti artists

-injected fun into an old building.

-In a city where land is scarce,

-they created a garden in the lobby.

-This does two things.

-First, it softens

-the structure of the room.

-You're never sure where you are.

-Secondly, it makes you smile.

-It's a taste of things to come

-in this fun hotel.

-As we walk past

-this plastic curtain...

-..we catch glimpses

-of the dining area behind it.

-This perspex

-is a reflective surface.

-Light bounces off it

-in all directions.

-The coloured glass panes sparkle

-against this long, green panel.

-In essence, they've raised tat

-to a higher level.

-It's great fun, I must admit...

-..but above all else, this is a

-great space in which to hang out!

-The first thing you see

-in the reception area...

-..is two parked cars!

-Yes, it's amazing to see

-two Minis in front of you.

-The colour on the walls

-is amazing, too.

-This is an almost cheap

-psychedelic, 1960s design...

-..with its pinks and turquoises.

-It's a 1960s throwback.

-Yes, which ties in with

-the use of the vintage Minis.

-It's really whimsical

-and it's full of energy.

-You can easily

-get this sort of thing wrong.

-Yes, when the whimsical

-becomes meaningless.

-The Minis aren't meaningless -

-they have a function.

-They're desks.

-A British company adapted

-these cars and it works well.

-You can instantly see

-that this hotel is unusual.

-It's unique,

-and we're going to have fun here.

-If you've stayed

-in the Baby Grand here, in Athens...

-..you know you must share your room

-with a graffiti creation.

-I don't think everyone

-would appreciate the irony...

-..of trying to sleep in a room

-whose walls are covered in Smurfs!

-You have to be of a certain age

-and have treasured Smurf memories!

-If not, then like me, it will

-remind you of a nursery school!

-There's something comical

-about the public areas...

-..here, upstairs -

-and downstairs, in the lobby.

-It ties in perfectly

-with the bedrooms.

-Here, in the bar...

-..there's a collection

-of different-sized chairs.

-It's as though

-they're expecting Goldilocks!

-A big chair, a smaller chair

-and a small chair.

-They may look tiny, but even I

-can sit on them comfortably!

-Add to that

-the colourful, bright elements.

-Things like the cushions,

-the blue rugs and the tiger lamps.

-The ostrich tables

-and these round mirrors...

-..all add to that sense of fun.

-We find ourselves

-in another cartoon!

-Yes, each room

-is very different pictorially...

-..and each room

-has a different theme.

-Ten local artists

-from The Breeder Gallery...

-..came up with the room designs.

-A lot of people

-would come in here and say...

-"Someone's been scribbling

-on the wall!"

-We're not supposed to like graffiti,

-after all.

-Well, it has become fashionable

-to appreciate graffiti.

-It is now considered to be art.

-You can see different techniques

-on display here.

-They sprayed the wall but they also

-painted pictures and used crayons.

-There's a bedroom at the far end.

-It's a bit more plain in here.

-Yes, this room

-feels completely different.

-There's an element of the artwork

-you saw in the other room.

-You were surrounded by it

-in the other room.

-It's like a film set.

-When people design bedrooms,

-they try to create a mood...

-..but here, they've created a world.

-Yes, and it isn't over-designed.

-Other than the walls, there are only

-light design touches in the room.

-It makes me smile

-and I think it works.

-There are 76 rooms in this hotel,

-and each one is unique.

-That makes you keen to come back

-to see another design.

-One down, seventy-five to go!

-See you in the next hotel.

-The XVA in Dubai is a hotel

-and an art gallery in one.

-That's an unusual combination.

-I came in through the gallery

-at the rear.

-You entered through the front door.

-Yes, and I saw a statement made

-by an artist and no reception area.

-I looked up to see a woman's feet

-dangling out of a petticoat!

-It was unusual

-but I appreciated the work of art.

-This reminds me of a riad in Morocco

-with rooms off the central garden.

-Yes, the owner used the rooms which

-are off the central courtyard...

-..to create an art gallery.

-There's a lot of art

-on display here.

-We're in an urban area.

-They've taken a traditional house

-and created something unique.

-This is a creative experience.

-This narrow, low corridor

-links one courtyard to the other.

-You can immediately see

-this was created to display art.

-The other side

-feels like a restaurant...

-..and the art is on the periphery.

-Here, the art takes centre stage.

-This was created to display

-more structural pieces of art.

-I really like

-the flat artwork on the wall.

-This isn't a big room...

-..and when you step in here, it's

-like drowning in a sea of colour.

-Yes, in contrast to what you see

-in the other courtyard.

-Here, you can

-dive into the artist's world.

-There's a lot of colour and pattern

-on the walls.

-They clash and they scream at you,

-which is fantastic.

-This work has been influenced

-by Andy Warhol and Pop Art.

-This fleece is a bit old-fashioned.

-You wouldn't expect to see a fleece

-in a luxury hotel!

-There are also some Indian patterns

-and a crocheted cushion cover here.

-It's very kitsch.

-It's amazing to think there's

-something like this in Dubai.

-There are over-designed

-five-star hotels wherever you look.

-It's nice to see old things

-put together in such a natural way.

-Yes, it feels as though

-you're in someone's home.

-I like that.

-During the renovation process to

-turn it into a hotel and gallery...

-..this room in XVA

-was turned into a lounge.

-That's why there are sofas

-around the edge of the room.

-What is this remarkable structure

-above my head?

-In the old days, this tower carried

-hot air out of the building...

-..leaving it totally cool.

-Cool - just like me!

-This is the most colourful

-of the six bedrooms in the XVA.

-There's a touch of India about it.

-The lemon colour in the bedding

-is also in the curtains...

-..in the Indian picture

-and in the bed canopy.

-Over there is a curtain you'd expect

-to see in your granny's house!

-Strong colours ping

-in every corner of the room.

-Its campness

-is the secret of its success.

-The golden bonsai on top of

-the wardrobe adds to the camp feel.

-The fan is reflected in the leaves,

-making it look as though it moves.

-This room is a very colourful corner

-of what is a very Arabic design.

-The windows above the doors

-are an integral part of that design.

-I didn't expect to find

-something like this in Dubai.

-We managed to find a real gem

-in what is such an urban area.

-The owner transformed this old house

-into a very chic boutique hotel.

-S4C subtitles by Eirlys A Jones