Berkeley Bar & Terrace

2 min read
March 3, 2020
dpages

CLASSIC…

British sophistication mixes with bold, contemporary style at The Berkeley Hotel. From its humble origins as an 18th-century coffee house to its glamorous debut as a Victorian-era hotel frequented by debutantes, the now-legendary Knightsbridge landmark has served London’s fashionable elite for centuries. Today the chic, five-star retreat is recognized for its innovative interiors and posh amenities, including the new Berkeley Bar & Terrace.

DESIGNED…

by Bryan O’Sullivan Studio, the bar is a fresh interpretation of The Berkeley’s distinguished heritage. “The rich history of the building provided a spring board of inspiration for what we hope is a timeless yet contemporary new edition to this London landmark,” says studio principal Bryan O’Sullivan, who was recently named one of House & Garden’s Top 100 interior designers. Though this was the studio’s first hospitality project in London, O’Sullivan was already familiar with The Berkeley’s reputation for design excellence. The Irish designer trained under the late great David Collins, creator of The Berkeley’s famed Blue Bar, before opening his eponymous firm in 2013. The studio has since designed high-end interiors for hotels, restaurants and luxury residences throughout Europe and the UK.

THE DESIGN…

for The Berkeley’s bar, lounge areas, private room and terrace blends old-world glamour with a contemporary spirit. The Snug, for instance, is a private, nine-seat room inspired by traditional “snugs,” which were discreet spaces carved out in men’s-only pubs where women could socialize without being seen. New York artist TM Davy collaborated with the studio on a custom mural invoking that tradition. Cloaking the walls of The Snug, Davy’s female faces shroud the room in their intimate gaze.

HISTORY…

informs the interior architecture, too. Brutalist-inspired arches punctuate the bar’s rooms with military precision. They recall the home of the Grenadiers, a British Army regiment whose stables once stood on the hotel’s grounds.

RICH…

intricate and exquisitely patterned, the walnut wood wall panels are the space’s most storied design element. The panels derive from a single tree—a 300-year-old walnut felled from the Fulbeck Estate in Lincolnshire, England during the great storm of 2007. Above the panels, a bespoke frieze depicts the story of the tree and estate in delicate, expertly rendered plasterwork. The deep, burnished timber walls cocoon the space in warmth, while the soft, neutral palette of the frieze and furnishings balance the wood’s richness.

OUTSIDE…

the intimate terrace offers guests a view of the historic St. Paul’s church next door. It’s an iconic view for what is sure to become an iconic spot in its own right.