With three of London’s most iconic luxury hotels in its portfolio (Claridge’s, The Connaught and The Berkeley), the Maybourne Hotel Group is proof that good things come in small packages. Founded by Belfast-born businessman Paddy McKillen in 2004, the company is now mostly owned by the Qatari royal family, though McKillen still has a substantial investment, personally guiding the development of each of the properties. His tactic has been to appoint a star-studded list of designers, architects and chefs for a number of projects, from a new façade at The Berkeley by RSHP, to Pierre Yovanovitch’s recent refresh of Hélène Darroze at The Connaught (shortlisted in this year’s Wallpaper* Design Awards).
But there was one project close to McKillen’s heart that demanded a particularly deft design touch – the revival of the Connaught’s legendary Grill Room. Originally opened in 1955, the restaurant soon became a hotspot for London’s great and good, its legendary reputation reinforced by its discretion – no roll-call of notable regulars has ever been made public. The food was the main draw, overseen by the hotel’s then-head chef, Michel Bourdin, who, from 1975 to 2000, served up classics from roasts to pies, as well as the famous oeuf en surprise au Connaught, a boiled egg, wrapped in ham and aspic, topped with truffle and caviar. ‘To revive a restaurant with such a great legacy was a decision we didn’t take lightly,’ says McKillen. ‘We wanted to do it right, with the best people, the best design and the best materials, so the restaurant will have a legacy of its own in future years.’
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Denne historien er fra March 2020-utgaven av Wallpaper.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Guiding Light - Designer Joe Armitage follows his grandfather's footsteps in India, reissuing his elegant midcentury lamp and creating a new chandelier for Nilufar Gallery
For some of us, family inheritances I tend to be burdensome, taking up space, emotionally and physically, in both our minds and attics. For the London-based designer and architect Joe Armitage, however, a family heirloom has taken him somewhere lighter and brighter, across generations and continents, and into the path of Le Corbusier. This is the story of a lamp designed by Edward Armitage in India 72 years ago, which has today been expanded into a collection of lights by his grandson Joe.
POLE POSITION
A compact Melbourne house with a small footprint is big on efficiency and experimentation
URBAN OASIS
At an art-filled Mexico City residence, New York designer Giancarlo Valle has put his own spin on the country's traditional craft heritage
WARM FRONT
Designer Clive Lonstein elevates his carefully curated Manhattan home with rich textures and fabrics
BALCONY SCENE
A Brazilian island hotel offers a unique approach to the alfresco experience
ENSEMBLE CAST
How architect Anne Holtrop is leaving his mark on the Middle East
Survival mode
A new show looks at preparing for a post-apocalyptic landscape (and other catastrophes)
FLASK FORCE
A limited-edition perfume collaboration between two Spanish craft masters says it with flowers
BLOOM SERVICE
A flower-shaped brutalist beauty in Geneva gets a refresh
SECOND NATURE
A remodelled museum in Lisbon, by Kengo Kuma & Associates, meshes Japanese and Portuguese influences to create a space that sits in harmony with its surroundings