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Project name: Vintry & Mercer

Location:  Garlick Hill, City of London

Date Completed: February 2019

Architect: Dexter Moren Associates

Interior Designer:  Dexter Moren Associates

Hotel Group/Developer: FR Holdings

 

London’s colourful mercantile history meets contemporary edge at the City’s new destination hotel containing 92 rooms, a roof terrace, all-day restaurant and underground speakeasy.

The client wanted to create a ‘bolthole’ away from the city that could transport guests into another time and space entirely. The client requested a design approach similar to its first property, the award-winning The Ampersand Hotel in South Kensington, which Dexter Moren Associates also designed. The brief called for the same high level of design, ingenuity and quality.

Following their appointment in 2015, hospitality experts Dexter Moren Associates redesigned an already approved scheme, which originally had bedrooms focussed around a small internal courtyard. Working within the building’s envelope, the new design, led by Co-head of Interior Design, Lindsey Bean-Pearce, and Associate, Giada Gemignani, increased the number of external aspect rooms and created a more impactful entrance.

Vintry & Mercer is a one-of-a-kind property, immersed in and visually referencing the location using bespoke wallcoverings, carpets, and light sculptures to engage guests with the story of the hotel and its neighbourhood. The old-world charm of vintage inspired furniture and joinery mixes with modern and clean detailing: it’s a playful marriage of old and new, just like the City itself.

The hotel’s 92 rooms are spread across five room categories, ranging from intimate doubles to suites with glass-panelled balconies that overlook London’s Southbank skyline. Bespoke wallcoverings and statement headboards meet the client’s brief for a signature DNA linking back to The Ampersand.

The design for the Mercer Roof Terrace is based on a countryside orangery with a palette of weathered timbers and muted sage green and grey in the upholstery. Floor-to-ceiling windows celebrate the views of St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Southbank. Richness is introduced using brass detailing, with honeycomb-patterned tiles on the walls and Versailles parquet timber flooring.

A clever combination of plantation shutters and delicate wire framed mirrors, throws natural illumination across the space from the roof light above, while a partial-open prep kitchen, bar seating and overhead storage make the most of a small space.