John Lennon and Yoko Ono's Montreal hotel suite redesigned to celebrate iconic Bed-In for Peace
The Montreal hotel suite where John Lennon and Yoko Ono held their iconic Bed-In protest in May 1969 has been redesigned to celebrate 2017’s International Day of Peace.
The pair spent seven days of their honeymoon in the bed of Suite 1742 at the Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth hotel in their unconventional push for peace. The bed was also the recording location for Lennon’s first solo single, ‘Give Peace a Chance’.
Design firm Sid Lee Architecture have now completed a year-long renovation of the hotel and its guest rooms, collaborating with local collective MASSIVart on the newly re-christened John Lennon and Yoko Ono Suite.
The architects have rearranged the furniture to recreate the layout organised by the couple, with the bed placed against the main window. Their famous handwritten ‘Hair Peace’ and ‘Bed Peace’ cutouts have also been reproduced and adorn the window.
But rather than recreate the hotel’s period décor, the design team has been inspired by the places Lennon and Ono lived and visited during their anti-war campaigns.
New design touches reference London, New York, Tokyo and New Delhi, while the lyrics to ‘Give Peace a Chance’ are inscribed repeatedly on the walls in the style of a war memorial.
The suite also includes an archival cabinet containing photos, videos and historical items, while MASSIVart have added artworks, interactive pieces and multimedia installations.
Visitors will be able to don virtual reality headsets placed on the nightstands on either side of the bed, allowing them “to sense the unique energy of the bed-in from the point of view of John or Yoko.”
At the same time, Montrealers have been invited by the arts and design teams to gather at the city’s Place Ville Marie Esplanade for the largest outdoor bed-in ever held in North America. An exhibition, called Posters for Peace, features art created in tribute to the original protest, with proceeds from the sale of reproductions going to Amnesty International.
The redevelopment of Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth was overseen by real estate firm Ivanhoé Cambridge, which commissioned Sid Lee Architecture to create new public spaces such as bars, bistros and a performance venue.
They have reconnected the hotel with the street, added new entrances, opened up the kitchen areas, enhanced vertical connections through new sculptural stairways and created new interior light sources.
“We designed the renewed hotel experience with a very holistic vision,” said studio senior partner Jean Pelland. “The hotel literally opens onto the city to welcome local people.
"More generally, it reasserts itself as an urban hub serving a local and international clientele. It’s a third space where people can go every day to do business, attend events or enjoy some downtime.”
John Lennon Yoko Ono Montreal Bed-In for Peace Give Peace a Chance Sid Lee Architecture Fairmont the Queen Elizabeth
Wellness care hospital opens in Vilnius with innovative spa and hospitality concept
Universal and Puy du Fou projects point to rise of Oxford–Cambridge corridor
A proposed Puy du Fou development near Bicester and Universal Destinations and Experiences’ planned resort in Bedford are emerging as part of a wider transformation of the Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor into a major centre for UK leisure and tourism investment.
For years, the corridor has been associated primarily with science, technology, housing and university-led economic growth. However, the clustering of large-scale visitor attraction projects along the
All-inclusive eco-wellness development Auko to open near Vietnam’s Son Doong caves
Shedd Aquarium upgrades its visitor experience with new Immersion Theater
Shedd Aquarium has opened the Immersion Theater developed in partnership with SimEx-Iwerks, as part of a wider strategy to enhance the guest experience and create additional revenue opportunities.
The attraction has transformed the aquarium’s Phelps Auditorium into a multi-sensory venue combining panoramic projection, environmental effects and interactive technology.
A new pre-show area allows visitors to engage with augmented reality marine animals before entering the
MCR is planning a luxury hotel for London's BT Tower
Joy as a radical act: Yinka Ilori launches solo exhibition celebrating the rebellious power of spreading happiness
Work gets underway on Madrid's €800 million leisure complex
Work is underway in Madrid on one of Europe’s most significant multi-functional complexes, combining sport, entertainment, culture and education.
The €800 million initiative to regenerate the former Olympic Aquatic Centre in the north-east of the city, next to the Riyadh Air Metropolitano stadium, is being led by Barsento – a joint venture between Live Nation Entertainment, Oak View Group and Atlético de Madrid. The project will
Therme Manchester reveals 90:90 strategy – 90 per cent of the UK population within a 90-minute drive of a Therme
Four Seasons’ Naples Beach Club opens 2,800sq m Sanctuary spa inspired by indigenous Calusa people
Orient Express Corinthian to host Ocean Rebirth wellness retreat in collaboration with Guerlain
Famed London nightclub, Tramp, launches Tramp Health
First look: Miraval opens on the Red Sea in Saudi Arabia
Hainan Science Museum by Ma Yansong, opens in China
A new science museum has opened to the public in Haikou after attracting more than 350,000 visitors during a four-month soft opening period.
Designed by Ma Yansong and his practice MAD Architects, the Hainan Science Museum is located on the edge of Wuyuan River National Wetland Park and has already recorded peak attendance of more than 5,800 visitors in a single day.
Commissioned by
Zannier Île De Bendor launches with design by Hardel Le Bihan Architectes
Sæl Spa readies for launch in London: “a modern British sanctuary”
Immersive art bathhouse Submersive announces debut location in Austin
Construction begins on regenerative wellness destination The Shenandoah Nature Resort
Royal Caribbean reveals record-breaking cruise ship
V&A East opens in London
David Geffen galleries open at LACMA
New venue The Lands by Capella includes a longevity centre to complement sister hotel Capella Sydney
World of Frozen launches at Disneyland Paris
Pical Resort by Valamar reveals first Croatian spa under the ESPA brand
Mandarin Oriental creates end-to-end Egyptian journey with two new hotels and first-ever luxury river cruise
Designers Mendil + Meyer launch new division called Lām Concepts for strategic wellness projects
Wilderness Bisate in Rwanda reveals brand’s second Sanctuary spa
4a Architekten shares details of wellness extension at Salinarium Bad Dürkheim Thermal Spa
BodyHoliday plans 10-15 locations in the next 15 years
Floating wellbeing destination planned for London’s Royal Docks
Aman Group to open second Janu in Dubai with inaugural Janu Club
