London hotel openings are rarely as hotly anticipated as that of The Chancery Rosewood, which has just welcomed its first guests after almost 10 years in the making. Rather than an obsession with a hot location or a big-name chef attached (both of which this hotel has), much of the breathless anticipation has surrounded the property’s stellar architecture and design credentials.
The building’s roll-call is eye-wateringly impressive. Situated in the UK’s former US Embassy on Grosvenor Square, in the heart of London’s Mayfair, it’s a masterpiece of modernism created by Finnish-American super-architect Eero Saarinen in 1960 and now subject to a remarkable architectural restoration led by British architect Sir David Chipperfield.
The property is only made up of suites – 144 of them, to be exact – which, alongside its communal spaces, have all been designed by legendary French interior architect Joseph Dirand.
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When it comes to Dirand’s involvement, the excitement is valid. Aside from a couple of private homes in the capital, this is the first major UK project by the designer, who has become famous for a signature blend of classical French style and chic modern minimalism, seen in interiors such as the memorable Parisian restaurants Girafe and Loulou, as well as Hotel Habita Monterrey in Mexico and numerous retail spaces.
‘Saarinen was an extraordinary architect,’ explains Dirand when we meet just after the launch, clearly reverential of the master who came before him. ‘It’s interesting that there’s such a range of sensibility and style in his work. He went from very modernist projects to others that were more artistic and free-form, and yet they all have such a richness. The story of this building is fantastic, which is why I was excited about the project from the beginning. My love for this kind of architecture, for hospitality and how you bring luxury into a space made me feel I was the right person for the job.’
He talks about how he’s loved being part of changing the perspective on this once controversial edifice – seen as an American fortress, a brash, closed-off architectural representation of the US’s hefty power – into something open to the city, where people are free to enter and move around.
‘The very first thing I had to do was to understand Saarinen’s vocabulary,’ Dirand points out. ‘Sure, I was familiar with his pieces, but I went back to the archive, to look at the details, to develop a language reminiscent of what Saarinen would have done had he been called on to design a hotel back in the 1960s. I always try to keep things contextual, so I fused the archetypes of traditional British interiors – panelling, cornicing, that members’ club, Savile Row feel – with something more akin to mid-century American modernism.’
A true master of materiality, Dirand has skilfully juxtaposed sleek modern lines and plush textures. There’s a sexy, James Bond vibe to the place with the aforementioned panelling, intricately veined green marbles and deep velvets. The palette of rich tones punctuated with golden metallic accents nods to a welcome warmth and celebration of tactility often absent from the designer’s earlier projects, which usually had a chilly froideur to them. ‘London light is very specific,’ he says by way of explanation. ‘The city needs a particular decor to warm it up, that’s why we went for a richness – lots of woods and layered fabrics.’
‘I also wanted to celebrate craftsmanship and the property’s past to create a calming, inviting atmosphere,’ says Dirand, who has leant into the floorplans of these vast suites, filling them with sizeable sofas and other expansive furniture that just adds to the sense of being somewhere really special. Building on this atmosphere of luxury are over 700 artworks (the hotel has its own art concierge), from greats such as David Hockney and Peter Blake to emerging newcomers. Dirand points out that this contributes to that idea of making the space feel less intimidating, more residential.
‘Design is one thing, but it’s also thinking about how life will play out in those spaces: the emotional connection, how people will interact. Often, this is more important than the decor. Decor gives context, but it’s the flow, the light, the perspective that informs how people use a hotel, and I’m so excited to see how life unfolds there.’ Suites from £1,400 per night, rosewoodhotels.com
