‘We wanted to look to the idea of corporate cool,’ says Alex Holloway, creative and founding director of studio Holloway Li, a regular fixture on the pages of ELLE Decoration. His work, along with that of his business partner Na Li, is evidence that hospitality design in Britain is thriving.
He’s discussing Locke London Canary Wharf, the sixth London opening from the UK-based lifestyle-hotel brand. Locke is now present in 28 locations across 14 major European cities, including a Copenhagen outpost that opened in spring. When Holloway says ‘corporate’, he doesn’t mean that this hotel is a dry, dismal conference venue for grey-suited business folk. Instead, he and the Holloway Li team looked to the glamorous style of 1960s offices, perfectly epitomised in the iconic television series Mad Men.
‘Sure, the style was an influence,’ says Alex. ‘But we also loved the sense of effortless sophistication in the show – the fact it was a world where work, leisure and social lives flowed seamlessly together. This inspired us to look at how a hotel could feel both elevated and relaxed at the same time.’
It’s an apt reference. In a purpose-built tower on the waterfront – at the apex of a modern day ley line linking Canary Wharf’s iconic One Canada Square tower and the Millennium Dome across the river – it feels like you could be in New York.
The hotel’s 279 rooms spread across 19 floors and range from studios to more spacious suites with many offering stunning views of the Thames and London’s skyline. These are built for the modern traveller desiring flexibility, and none of the fussy formality normally associated with luxury hotels; all include full kitchens and so-of-the-moment perfect oversized-sofa conversation pits.
‘We actually looked at houseboats when we first started designing the rooms,’ says Holloway, ‘as they’re a great example of fitting lots into a compact space, while each area gets to feel like its own thing. The sofa pits just seemed to embody that sense of cool, and the idea that Locke is the kind of place where they wouldn’t mind you having the kind of party this setting is made for!’
‘Luxury means something different today,’ says Alastair Thomann, Locke’s CEO. ‘Guests want thoughtful design and experiences that enhance every aspect of a stay.’ The communal areas evolve through the day, from the lobby’s coffee-to-cocktails café Luqa to Locke’s first ever rooftop bar and restaurant Alto, which opens this month. In these areas, Holloway Li introduced some bespoke designs, such as bookcases in burr wood, lipstick red lacquer and a DJ booth inspired by 1960s automobile design. As Holloway points out: ‘We sourced pieces, but it’s always great to add our own designs and we wanted these to sit as characters in the space, intrinsically linked to the period that inspired us.’ All in all, a new take on a stylish era for a new type of hotel. Rooms from £126 per night, lockeliving.com
