PROJECT 1 33
Left Guestroom bedside featuring the wall panelling, headboard and armchair
This page Lava stone co-working table with the high-table work-spaces beyond, plus bench seat detail
backdrop to the new counter, Holloway Li worked with a handmade tile maker in Italy. A base of bottle-green glazed, geometric tiles is punctuated with four inset oak-framed arrays of tile from the same manufacturer but in a variety of different glazes, patterns and textures, creating a vibrant focal point as you enter the hotel.
A new self-check-in area adjacent to the main reception counter maximises every inch of the arrival space to facilitate a seamless arrival/departure sequence for guests. Fluted glass, bronze tinted mirror, and profiled solid oak consistent with the reception counter have been chosen to create a cohesive language between these two bespoke joinery pieces. One of Holloway Li’s key interventions centred around reactivating the hotel lobby into vibrant multi-use spaces with an emphasis on shared working. Drawing on its work for brands such as Locke and The Hoxton, Holloway Li transformed the brand’s lounge into a versatile dual-purpose space, shape shifting between a comfortable work place by day and a relaxed living room by night.
The space is re-ordered around a
5.0m-long showpiece blue lava-stone table, which acts as the focal point. A number of different seating settings around the table offer a variety of guest uses across the transition from day to night. Fixed banquette, ‘zoom- booths’, a high working bench, loose flexible seating and a more relaxed lounge area fill the rest of the space.
Another of Holloway Li’s interventions on the ground floor has been to create a more seamless transition between the lift lobby and the Club Living Room at the rear of the property, and by elongating the existing stair the studio creates a seamless transition between the two spaces.
Holloway Li has hand-selected artwork for the redesign, combining locally sourced prints with the commissioning of two large, bespoke canvases by local artist Phoebe Boddy. The commissioned pieces tell the story of an unlikely cluster of orange trees that can be found in the grounds of neighbouring St Paul’s Cathedral, helping root the design against its wider cultural context.
The studio says the entrance/lobby leads
to the hotel amenities located on Level 1 and Lower Level 1 (the building follows US floor numbering), the guestrooms (265 keys) on Levels 1 to 7, and the back-of-house spaces on the lower levels.
In the guestrooms, a series of tailored moments accommodate both business and leisure travel. Adaptable furniture serves a dual purpose – acting both as somewhere to relax and as functional workspace – ensuring the room adapts to the varying needs of its occupants.
Artwork across the rooms feature Eduardo Paolozzi prints – a nod to mid-century pop art – while furniture pieces such as the Carl Hansen armchair further tell the story of Holloway Li’s design inspiration for this project. This balance of classic and contemporary extends to the details, with traditional hotel elements enhanced by modern touches, such as the fluted headboards and the domestic warmth of sisal carpeting.
The bespoke desk design, paired with a custom desk lamp created for the project in collaboration with Joe Armitage, further elevates the attention to detail in the guestroom. Armitage’s design heritage traces back to his grandfather, the architect Edward Armitage, whose original 1952 floor lamp became the inspiration for Joe’s contemporary lighting collection.
PHOTOS: NICHOLAS WORLEY
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