HOTEL REVIEW
and hot desk rental, and also borders the Stephenson Quarter, a £200m mixed-use development that will breathe new life into this part of the city. Mawson Kerr and Bentley Interior Design
were tasked with converting the Grade II-listed building – formerly the home of 19th century socialite Sir Robert Hopper Williamson – into 14 aparthotels. While little was done to the façade of Friar
House, the interiors posed a challenge for architect Will Mawson, Director of Mawson Kerr. “Working in a listed building requires a great amount of detail to make them successful,” he explains. “The wet and dry rot was a large stumbling block as well as the servicing of such an old building.” He continues: “Due to limitations on
alteration, the interior layout required some creativity to make it work as a hotel. The planners did not want any subdivision of the key spaces so we have employed a ‘Manhattan lofts’ approach to larger spaces using blade walls to differentiate bedrooms and living areas without creating separate rooms. The whole
building had to be used to make the project viable so there are really interesting spaces, such as the bedrooms in the original vaulted stores and a mezzanine penthouse bedroom in the roof space with glimpses of the cathedral.” The brief to design a modern apartment hotel within the fabric of a Georgian building meant that the existing character of Friar House was retained while creating a modern boutique feel. “Working with the interior designer we have kept as much of the original fabric and features as possible, such as the old range, entrance doors, cornices, the restored grand staircase, venetian windows and timber panelling. The finishes give an air of opulence around the historic elements with new interventions being unashamedly modern to give clear definition between the old and new,” Mawson adds. Interior designer Rachel Bentley, founder of Bentley Interior Design, has been involved in the development of Roomzzz for the past four years, executing the design of the flagship property in Leeds, and creating the brand’s franchise manual. In Newcastle, the concept
096 MARCH / APRIL 2013
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THIS PAGE: Suites follow two colour schemes enhanced by luscious fabrics and finishes FOLLOWING PAGE: Supplied by Symphony Group, kitchens are designed in line with the interiors, specified in dark walnut with elegant chunky blenders and gloss white with dark wenge worktops
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