Blueprint Awards 2017: The winners
Best Interior Project – Leisure
Winner: Make Architects, UK
Harrods Grand Entrance Hall, London, UK
Judges’ Comments
‘An interesting juxtaposition of classic grandeur and modernity'. André Fu
‘The space conveys luxury and sophistication with opulence. It creates some dramatic and quite beautiful spaces. A suitable grand and dramatic entrance that remains simple, aiding with naturally moving you through the store.’ Kate Goodwin
The new Grand Entrance Hall at London department store Harrods is inspired by Art Deco, and combines heritage details with advanced engineering and digital technologies. Make Architects stripped back layers of clutter added over previous decades to reveal many original features, and added high-definition visual merchandising screens to bring the project up to date.
‘Harrods wanted the hall restored to its original grandeur, to create a fitting new grand entrance,’ says the architect. ‘Our design concept draws on elements of the original hall and creates a strong sense of arrival and expectation. The state-of-the art technology running through all five floors ensures customers have a thoroughly modern shopping experience.’
The entrance hall contains 16 sets of nickel bronze-clad escalators that cantilever into the space, with fluted undersides lending them a streamlined look. Key architectural interventions include the repositioning of the escalators, new light wells on each floor, and the reinstatement of windows to ensure the circulation area isfilled with natural light. Customers can look up all the way from the lower groundfloor to the fifth floor, where a bespoke double-curved glass dome references the domes found in the famous store’s original design. The use of materials including marble, metal and glass supports the luxurious feel of the hall, while ensuring surfaces are robust enough for this high-traffic area.
Highly Commended
Asylum Creative, Singapore
The Warehouse Hotel, Singapore
Neri&Hu Design and Research Office, China
The Hub Performance and Exhibition Center, Shanghai, China
Commended
Friend and Company Architects with RA Projects, UK
Victoria & Albert Museum Shop, London, UK
One Plus Partnership, China
Shanghai Omnijoi International Cinema, Shanghai, China
Finalists
Andy Martin Architects, UK
Fucina, London, UK
Asylum Creative, Singapore
The Warehouse Hotel, Singapore
El Equipo Creativo, Spain
El Mama La Papa Restaurant and Bar, Barcelona, Spain
Friend and Company Architects with RA Projects, UK
Victoria & Albert Museum Shop, London, UK
i29 Interior Architects, The Netherlands
De Bijenkorf Utrecht Restaurant, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Make Architects, UK
Harrods Grand Entrance Hall, London, UK
Neri&Hu Design and Research Office, China
The Hub Performance and Exhibition Center, Shanghai, China
One Plus Partnership, China
Shanghai Omnijoi International Cinema, Shanghai, China
RCR Arquitectes, Spain
ENIGMA restaurant, Barcelona, Spain
Rockwell Group, USA
Nobu Downtown, New York, USA
Rockwell Group, USA
TAO LA, Los Angeles, USA
Studio Munge, Canada
Westlight, New York, USA
