Belmond Cadogan Hotel, London
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We brought in as much natural light as possible to enhance the interaction with the natural landscape
The renovation of the Pool House and Residences along with restaurant Thirty8 called for a simplicity in spatial planning and a maximisation of volumes, along with the creation of strong sight lines and vistas.
The design utilises simple, raw materials in bold statements whilst drawing on the local heritage and surrounding locale, to offer a laid-back, yet glamourous setting.
Hidden stories
Narrative has been woven into the design as subtle details such as the suggestion of local flora within the carpet design. The references to local traditional crafts can be found in the hand carving to the teak credenzas, whilst the signature artworks pick up on the elements of the surrounding pool and landscape, whether this be in the feature wall sculpture which forms the major back drop upon entering the residence, or the triptych of painted works that form a procession along the main meeting room corridor. The elements build on the story without visually overloading the guest.
Pool House
The Pool House presents itself as a clash of the ‘simple and understated’ (the classic beach hut), against elements of ‘glamour, texture and richness’ (Kuala Lumpur), all surrounded by lush vegetation and clear blue waters.
The traditional white painted clapboard panelling forms the basic canvas against which all the other elements play. The main floor has been created from sawn and textured planks of granite in light neutral tones that are then laid using a simple stepped geometry. As a contrast and a linking element to the existing pool terrace, a feature flamed basalt hexagon floor tile has been introduced. This flows across the room, linking all the different elements and features. The same geometric is then picked up in other architectural elements within the design.
The skylight forms a large conical shaft flooding the interior with natural light whilst at night this element takes on a life of its own, reflecting all the light from the large feature pendant light. Lit using low wattage filament bulbs this becomes a halo of mini fireflies buzzing away within the centre of this venue.
