FX Awards 2014 – the winners

Hotel

Winner: Ace Hotel London by Universal Design Studio

Hotel  Winner: Ace Hotel London by Universal Design Studio  Universal Design Studio completed Ace’s vision to expand the company’s international footprint by designing its first hotel outside of the USA. Located in Shoreditch, the project is underpinned by the desire to find the voice of a place and the potential for a hotel to nurture the local culture. The lobby is the embodiment of Ace’s democratic approach to space making – a hub for interaction for guests as well as the local community. The brick and steel-framed glazing of the facade is extended into the lobby space, creating a series of room-like zones with different spatial qualities. Engaging local suppliers, consultants and manufacturers was a way of helping ensure the space ‘is of London, and for London’. The hotel was subsequently conceived as a series of layers – a collage space with multiple references, programmes, narratives and collaborations. The design focuses on craftsmanship, embedding the space within the historic context of the Shoreditch district of London. Material choices are informed by East London’s longstanding role as a historic home of skilled trades and manufacturing. The guest rooms are based on the idea of staying with a friend embedded in the area’s culture, with furniture and objects acquired over time, each with stories and memories attached. The rooms subsequently have a domestic feel, with furniture that is multifunctional, avoiding standard hotel archetypes. Each room contains bespoke elements, such as a curated shelf with bespoke objects that act as triggers to explore the area.  The judges said: ‘Creative and authentic design’ ‘This is a hotel with a personality that resonates with the place it is located’

Photo: Andrew Meredith, Tina Hillier, Paul Raeside

Universal Design Studio completed Ace's vision to expand the company's international footprint by designing its first hotel outside of the USA. Located in Shoreditch, the project is underpinned by the desire to find the voice of a place and the potential for a hotel to nurture the local culture. The lobby is the embodiment of Ace's democratic approach to space making - a hub for interaction for guests as well as the local community. The brick and steel-framed glazing of the facade is extended into the lobby space, creating a series of room-like zones with different spatial qualities. Engaging local suppliers, consultants and manufacturers was a way of helping ensure the space 'is of London, and for London'. The hotel was subsequently conceived as a series of layers - a collage space with multiple references, programmes, narratives and collaborations. The design focuses on craftsmanship, embedding the space within the historic context of the Shoreditch district of London. Material choices are informed by East London's longstanding role as a historic home of skilled trades and manufacturing. The guest rooms are based on the idea of staying with a friend embedded in the area's culture, with furniture and objects acquired over time, each with stories and memories attached. The rooms subsequently have a domestic feel, with furniture that is multifunctional, avoiding standard hotel archetypes. Each room contains bespoke elements, such as a curated shelf with bespoke objects that act as triggers to explore the area.

The judges said:
'Creative and authentic design'
'This is a hotel with a personality that resonates with the place it is located'

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