RSHP's first encounter with luxury hotel group Maybourne happened 20 years ago, when the acclaimed architecture studio was approached to work with it on a new entrance for The Berkeley. It resulted in the sleek canopy, made of a series of 16 carbon fibre beams, that elegantly adorn its periodinspired façade to this day. Just next to it is The Emory, 'London's first all-suite hotel', which opened in Belgravia in April and is the latest and largest - product in the long, fruitful relationship that ensued.
RSHP partner Ivan Harbour was a key force in the project from day one, alongside the legendary practice co-founder Richard Rogers, who remained involved until his death in 2021. The Emory's location is in one of central London's most highly soughtafter corners, and naturally it influenced the project's design development. 'The Emory is part of a family of projects that we created around The Berkeley so, in that context, we were aiming to create something very clear on a site that is very dense and already fully occupied,' says Harbour.
'It had to be something that could be constructed as much as possible off-site, and so it had to have a level of rational thinking in the way it was organised. It was about making strong, rational decisions that would inform the construction process. What we created only exists because of the project's pragmatic constraints.' If in doubt about the project's high level of precise engineering and function-led design, a look at the main façade will convince you otherwise. The Emory stands proudly overlooking Hyde Park, its captivating network of steel outriggers peeking out from its rooftop-like masts, their slim steel rods running down the clean, functionalist façade, helping to define a neat grid of openings for the suites behind it.
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Denne historien er fra June 2024-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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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
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