Whether you call it a lift or an elevator, we are determined to design a vertical transportation machine that you actually don’t mind being in!
There is no forgotten space in our hotels and the lift is another opportunity and challenge to create an uplifting interior. I have to admit I can get a tiny bit claustrophobic in small spaces, but with a large mirror, upholstered walling and interesting artworks to make our lifts feel like a room in themselves, I have no problem.
In the vibrant lift at Ham Yard Hotel, we commissioned the South African/Australian artist Shilo Engelbrecht to create panels of artwork on linen to line the walls. We just love the colourful and generous hand brush strokes.
We also love to hang artworks in our lifts for the guests to look at while rising upwards to their floors. The artist Ruby Kean made individual collages of each of our hotels, created from photographs, coat tags, pieces of wallpaper, ribbon and ephemera that evokes the life and soul of each property.
You can find Shilo’s artwork framed on the walls of some suites at Ham Yard Hotel.
In Crosby Street Hotel’s lifts, you will find Holly Frean’s 64 Spaniels and 64 Black and White Dogs artworks.
At The Soho Hotel, we have used our own carpet called ‘Detail’ in two different colourways, which we designed for Wilton Carpets.
When we arrived in New York, everywhere we looked in the streets of SoHo we saw glamorous locals walking their dogs, so these canine neighbours quickly became an inspiration for Crosby Street Hotel’s design.
The Whitby Hotel is a complete new build. It has sixteen floors, so as you can imagine, our daily step count soared high when we were installing and the lifts were not in action yet.
Inspired by vintage lift dials from a stay at Le Grand Hotel du Palais in Biarritz, we decided to design our own, fit for the modern day.
Impatient as ever, I find it curious and assuring to watch the dial spin towards my level. It’s these details that bring a space to life.
