Locke at Broken Wharf London Hotel by Grzywinski+Pons

The soft green walls sculpt around the occupant, following the faceted form of the outside building. Sitting in this cave, eroded out of the expansive length of the existing floor plan one cannot help but feel at ease, the distant sound of chatter floating out from the neighbouring restaurant mixes with the repetitive knock of the outside rain. The occupant becomes torn between getting lost in the pages of their book or pressing their nose against the orange-framed window to watch as the outside world continues around them.

Grzywinski+Pons have reimagined the scale of an existing seven-story office building in London into a 113 room hotel and hospitality space. As a team, they acknowledged the potentially alienating quality of expansive ceilings and a long, thin floor plan, which tied to the previous requirements of an office space. Instead of chucking a few newly upholstered armchairs in the centre of the floor and calling it a day, they have enlisted a complete internal renovation and fit-out along with the injection of a new addition.

The process of stripping back the internal spaces revealed old office cubicles and remnants of days of frenzied conversation and deadline meetings. However, it also revealed an opportunity to manipulate the buildings section, cutting into unused space to create new double-height areas while allowing the architects to add their own exposed structural elements. This moment defined the new aesthetic of Locke at Broken Wharf, an interesting and considered intersection of the existing with the new.

The building features a collection of enclaves, each environment becoming separated from each other with custom screens, differing canopies and considered furniture placement. Each zone, not only defined by their differing functions, also possesses its own personality. There is an interesting layering of materials, textures and finishes including the juxtaposition of leather, wood and terrazzo with the softness of upholstered furniture and wool rugs. Together these generate welcoming, warm and cosy areas to relax and share with friends and family.

The largeness of the floor plate quietly lingers, now light-filled and airy, newly placed expansive glazing allows for beautiful natural lighting while encouraging those within to view the pastiche of architectural styles that make up the city of London. Each window becomes a curated view, it’s placement restrained by the interesting shape of the building. This difficult form becomes an opportunity to be celebrated, transforming a simple window into a portal from which to experience one’s surroundings.

There is a duality that runs throughout this building, perhaps stemming from the original design brief to adapt an existing structure. The softness of its interior compared to its harsh outer shell, the intersecting relationship between old structural systems with the new and the multiplicity of material choice. The narratives and stories, which have been adsorbed into the foundations of this building, remain and are built upon, the Locke at Broken Wharf now a collection of many experiences which will continue to grow for years to come.