Puro Poznań’s Craft Renaissance: A Love Letter to Polish Heritage.

Holloway Li has created a little bit of magic at Puro Hotel in Poznań’s Old Town. This renovation embraces local craft traditions, creating spaces that feel equally nostalgic and current, and deliciously inviting.

The reimagining of this 136-room hotel centres on its ground floor. The reception area sets the tone with its sculptural elegance—a gently curved desk elevated by three limestone plinths. “We wanted to create an eye-catching moment as guests entered the hotel,” explains Grey Grierson, Project Designer. “The burnt red glazed tiles pop against the more subdued colour tones of the natural wall covering and light linen in the backdrop.”

A striking partition wall frames the view into the lounge through a large circular brass cutout, referencing the design language of high-speed trains once produced in Poznań’s factories. This industrial heritage connection continues throughout the space, subtly woven into contemporary elements.

Puro Hotel Kraków by Paradowski Studio.

Reinterpreting chic elements from the ‘bygone era of Kraków’, Paradowski Studio’s design celebrates the creative community in the second oldest city of Poland.

The lounge offers thoughtful spatial flow, with floor-to-ceiling windows flooding natural light across furniture groupings. Fogia sofas and Holloway Li’s T4 lounge chairs pair with Eileen Gray’s iconic side tables, while solid oak planters echo the limestone plinths from reception, creating intimate zones within the open plan.

At the hotel’s heart lies a private meeting room showcasing exceptional local craftsmanship. Working with Riwal Ceramika i Szklo, Holloway Li developed handmade glass windows that pay homage to Poznań’s Art Nouveau townhouses. These bespoke elements, created using handmade moulds, feature unique textures that filter light in captivating ways. Mobel armchairs in pale bouclé fabric complement the light blue timber framing and marbled cork panels.

The Nifty restaurant further develops this narrative of heritage and contemporary comfort. Ruby leather dining chairs from Eikund sit alongside banquettes inspired by 1920s Polish rail carriage interiors. An intriguing artwork by Piotr Łakomy, featuring an aluminium nest with an ostrich egg, adds unexpected drama, while stretched pendant lights cast gentle illumination over glazed blue ceramic tabletops.

Prioritising Repurposed Materials: Bermonds Locke London by Holloway Li.

Inspired by California’s Joshua Tree and the Navajo desert, Holloway Li has an electric, surreal and dreamlike urban retreat in the heart of South London that prioritises repurposed materials.

Movement through the hotel reveals layered transitions. Corridors feature deep earthy red tones and soft lighting, with individually moulded ceramic room numbers by local artisans. The lift lobby’s staggered pale limestone cladding creates subtle light-to-dark transitions as guests move through the space.

In the guest rooms and suites, warm, homely atmospheres emerge through natural colour palettes and layered textiles. Each room features a green datum with rounded timber beading, linear headboards, and solid oak bedside tables. A playful touch comes from gradient shower films inspired by experimental 1970s Polish glassware. Suites offer additional luxury with carved limestone side tables that follow the curvature of fabric headboards, complemented by contemporary Polish photography.

True to PURO’s sustainable philosophy, Holloway Li’s renovation retains existing elements where possible while introducing new features that maximize impact. This hotel renovation is a love letter to Polish craftsmanship. If you’re heading to Poznań (and honestly, after seeing this, why wouldn’t you?), this is absolutely where you need to stay.

A Modernist Boudoir: Locke am Platz in Zürich by Sella Concept.

Lifestyle aparthotel brand Locke expands into Zurich, Switzerland with the opening of its fifteenth property, Locke am Platz.

[Images courtesy of Holloway Li. Photography by Pion Studio.]