Set Design & Decoration

The Grand Budapest Hotel |  2014 |  Wes Anderson

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“The Grand Budapest Hotel” (2014), written and directed by Wes Anderson is a personal favourite of mine. The film takes place in the fictional world of “Zubrowka” and spans a couple of decades (30’s-60’s). Adam Stockhausen (Production designer) and Anna Pinnock (Set decorator) worked alongside Anderson to bring to life the interior of the grandiose hotel which was originally a disused department store in Gorlitz, Germany. Stockhausen states the German art style “Jugendstil” was a primary influence for the hotel's decor. Attention to detail is evident throughout - sets and props are mostly handbuilt bringing about a storybook feel with an old-school charm. Meticulously symmetrical shots are injected with colour and character. Rich red rugs, pastel pink walls and gold guildings create a vision of decadence and romance. The blend of Art Nouveau/Art Deco of the 1930’s contrasts starkly with the “brutish..soviet-era style” of the 60’s. Although at the hotel’s “lowest point”, I can’t help but love its pistachio green, ochre yellow and mid-century furnishings. The overall design translates a warm feeling of nostalgia. The Budapest Hotel itself is like a character who completes the story.