ROB WAGEMANS

“There’s a revolution going on… Started by like-minded people, who don’t discriminate between rich and poor, high-end and low-end. In their world that kind of thinking is a thing of the past, completely irrelevant. They belong to a culture in which you adjust to whom you meet. Have multi-identities. Wearing sneakers and a tie the same time. What you agree on, is one’s creative mind. And that hasn’t got anything to do with one’s credit card.”

“Strangely, a lot of power in Europe resides with urban planners. They plan housing in a very traditional way, but nobody wants to live in their common three room apartments anymore. A whole generation lives very differently. They sleep in the kitchen, work in bed en watch television while bathing. Somehow, the world just isn’t ready for that yet.”

“A lot lot of industries will be radically changed by ‘outsiders’, I mean, the aviation world was revolutionized by EasyJet, Apple launched the iPod, completely changing the portable music player industry at the expense of former monopolist Sony. The hotel world, a very traditional one, is now being turned upside down by brands like citizenM or Ace Hotel in The United States. It seems that it has to be an outsider to go for a completely different approach. It’s going to be surprising. There’s more to come!”

“I believe that the key trend shaping the future of restaurants, hotels and meeting places and so on is congeniality. People want to be part of a certain group and eat/drink/sleep according to budget. That’s why you have to build places where you can spend what you can afford, but still can meet each other. We are building something for that generation. I hope in the near future a lot of designers will do the same.”

“The best place for a bed? It depends how you use your bed. When I’m at home, I’m in bed most of the time, so it has to have a prominent place. I like to place beds in front of the windows, so that you can look outside. 90% of the hotels have you looking at the wallpaper. Because it’s such a nice place for the telly….I feel it’s important to have the beds near the window, so that when you wake up in a city you’re unfamiliar with you can open the curtains and look outside!”

“I believe that every guest of citizenM has a creative mind. Whether your profession is a doctor, programmer,shop owner or designer: you’re capable of thinking out of the box within your discipline. You’re not a passive servant, but a creator and you work dynamically in your professional area. citizenM is a place where we all come together. In our head there is congeniality. I like that I can meet those people and have a conversation with them.”

“We are trying to create something that will be truly timeless. We’re not designers who create something ‘hip and happening’. It’s got to be ‘modern sustainable’. Something like the Supperclub, which is still regarded as one of the most trendy restaurants in Amsterdam. It has a history of 12 years already. They will be classics like the Nike Swoosh and Coke bottles.”

“The mobile phone and the computer changed our lives, but most new houses are still being built in the same way as always. I don’t believe in that. Spaces are becoming much more multifunctional and have a stronger relationship. Expect some beautiful concepts in the future!”