Ron Arad

Israeli-born, London-based Arad is known for his undulating furniture, but in his latest incarnation as a hotel designer, his inspirations are decidedly sci-fi. At his DuoMo, above, in the Italian town of Rimini, the reception desk resembles a hovering flying saucer, and openings in the wall behind each bed look into the pod-shaped bathroom. Next up is Upperworld Hotel at London's Battersea Power Station, where the suites will be reached by shuttles speeding through tubelike corridors.