Sitting proudly in Bermondsey, Locke’s new outpost brings a touch of Southern Californian cool to the capital, writes Donna Salek.
Having weathered the coronavirus storm far better than other sectors within the hospitality industry, extended-stay accommodations appear to be the rising star amongst business travellers and holidaymakers; and for proof of their popularity, one need not look any further than Locke Hotels, who managed to keep almost all of its locations open throughout lockdown, and has pressed ahead to meet its opening date for Bermonds Locke – SE1’s new kid on the block.
Known for blending traditional apart-hotel formats with the design, F&B and programming of a lifestyle hotel, Locke has expanded rapidly in recent years throughout Europe, with a further seven properties in its pipeline, finding success in its laid-back luxury offering. Developed by Edyn, Locke creates destinations that inspire and connect through mindful design, and has typically worked with New York-based studio Gryzwinski + Pons for its past projects. For Bermonds Locke, however, the hotel group appointed London-based firm Holloway Li, marking their first collaboration – a successful one, at that.
Bermonds Locke’s existing structure, originally built for use as an office building and described as having no regularised element to its floor plan, required much technical prowess to transform, for which the multidisciplinary studio’s architecture and interior design expertise proved to be a match. “Typically hotels have eight room categories, but in this one we have 143 guestrooms made up of 53 unique types, meaning it was a huge challenge to deliver technically,” says Alex Holloway, the studio’s co-founder.
Taking inspiration from the deserts of California, and nestled amongst the hubbub of Bermondsey Street, The Shard, Maltby Street Market and Tower Bridge, Bermonds Locke has been designed as both a literal and figurative oasis in the capital city. The hotel’s design takes inspiration from the Southern California cool of Joshua Tree National Park and the Mojave Desert – an idea that came to the Locke team during an R&D trip. “The team wanted to create an urban retreat that was a nod towards Californian cultural themes,” Holloway confirms. “We wanted to stray from the typical references that hotels in the capital city make by creating a new and exciting concept that sits incongruously in the landscape of London’s scene. This gave us the chance to design with a little more imagination.”
Open up the doors at street level, and guests enter a generously sized open-plan space. Creating a beacon above the check-in desk is a glowing art installation representing the moon, executed through the clever use of mirrors inspired by Olafur Eliasson’s famous Weather Project installation at Turbine Hall, as well as Phillip K. Smith’s art installation in Joshua Tree. “In the National Park, there’s a mirrored cabin created by Phillip K. Smith that’s made from stratified mirrors,” explains co-founder Na Li of the artist’s 2013 project. “We really love the effect it created and we liked the idea of the moon and sun being a motif for Joshua Tree.”
The open-plan space is also home to the co-working area, characterised by woven lampshades, industrial ceiling vents and exposed brickwork. Expertly crafted by Beck – who completed the hotel’s fit-out to a high standard – concrete testing cubes destined for landfill find new purpose as a plinth for six-metre long terrazzo-topped tables made from repurposed materials – paying homage to nature, both in terms of aesthetic and sustainability. Adjacent meeting rooms, which will no doubt be popular amongst workers adjusting to life without offices, are sectioned off with animated corrugated glass – unofficially dubbed as ‘disco screens’ for their trippy illusions that, of course, are very much in keeping with the desert mirage theme.
Continuing from the lobby and co-working area is the hotel’s 58-cover bar and restaurant, which is decorated with sandy tones, terracotta, clay and an abundance of greenery. Set to be led by a top chef – undisclosed at the time of writing – the F&B offering seeks to wow residents, draw in patrons from the streets, and make its mark amongst the area’s notorious food and drinks scene.
Lifts to the back of this space transport guests up to rooms arranged across floors that are defined by different colours and bring the gradient of the desert sunset to South London. Lower floors are dipped in a selection of saturated pinks and oranges, whilst upper floors are decorated in blues, beiges and grey hues. In rooms, kitchenettes come with all the necessary appliances, together with cooking utensils and crockery. Large windows invite sunlight in, reflecting off the apartment walls and bringing the sunset colours to life. In rooms that are large enough to accommodate them, chunky concrete-looking seating booths, designed by Holloway Li and made in Turkey, are fashioned from resin and defined by their rounded edges – a nod to London’s famous Routemaster bus; and in others, the same ‘disco screens’ that appear on the ground floor divide the space and add another iridescent touch.
Cleverly creating a design that worked within budget, the designers explored the brief in a material way that would allow them to achieve a high-quality design using unexpected construction materials. Holloway explains: “For all the ironmongery, we used steel reinforcement bars, which are typically put inside concrete blocks to support them. We took this and made them into intriguing features throughout the hotel.”
One such smart application in the guestrooms are the frames that wrap around the beds, creating a four-poster effect, finished with linen canopies that infuse old ideas of the concrete jungle with a new sense of sanctuary. Li adds: “By challenging the purpose of materials, we hope to highlight how a circular material economy can generate a unique aesthetic and a new living experience.”
Situated at ground-level, Bermonds Locke’s most exclusive accommodations are its generously sized, lofty ground-floor rooms, opening up onto outdoor bathtubs, and providing direct access to a courtyard that adjoins the lobby. Fit with a DJ booth, greenery, charming lights and comfortable outdoor seating, the space is ready and raring to welcome groups for events once Covid allows.
It’s no easy feat for a hotel to slot into a region as animated as Bermondsey and feel so instantly at home, but that’s just what this hotel does. Effortlessly becoming a staple hangout for locals and a home-away-from-home for visitors, Bermonds Locke captures the psychedelic experience of Joshua Tree, California – all from the comfort of South London.
