Andaz x Conran and Partners x Dais Contemporary

Conran and Partners have redesigned the 267 guest rooms at Andaz London Liverpool Street in the first major overhaul of the rooms since the practice unveiled their original design twenty years ago when Andaz was known as the ‘Great Eastern Hotel’.

The concept – commissioned by Andaz owners Hyatt – has updated and rejuvenated the rooms, bringing them more in line with the Andaz DNA and the massive changes in the local area on the edge of the City and London’s Shoreditch, whilst keeping its strong original design style. As part of the redesign, Conran and Partners have injected a number of new elements commissioned from local East London artists.

Tina Norden, Director, at Conran and Partners, says: “With Andaz London Liverpool Street, we recognised it as a place where the traditionally conservative City meets the ever-evolving, vibrant artistic ‘vibe’ of East London. In addition, we sought to create a sense of place in the rooms which allows guests to be both observers of – and participants in – the continual buzz of activity taking place on Liverpool Street Station’s Victorian concourse below.

“Waking up in an Andaz is to know where you are in the world, through an authentic ‘sense of place’ using subtle local touches rather than obvious theming. As a starting point, we looked at how the hotel lies at the ‘gateway’ between the City of London and Shoreditch and have taken many of our references from the very different histories and ‘vibes’ of these two adjacent areas. The palette of materials and colours draws upon some of the traditional, sophisticated and very ‘British’ elements of the City such as the elegance of the tailor-made pinstriped suit, which are reflected in the overall feel of the rooms, the fabrics chosen and the carpet design. It combines these with references to the more gritty quirkiness and unexpected elements of East London such as the use of tattoo art and the incorporation of concrete in the rooms.”

Each guest room has been designed in a ‘residential’ style to encapsulate the welcoming ethos of an Andaz ‘home’. Upon entering a room, guests are greeted with a little black steel shelf for depositing loose objects from their pockets. The extensive timber panelling has been preserved but stained in a more contemporary and crisp black to complement the new palette. A key part of the redesign was reviewing the lighting scheme, which now includes a warm LED dado light and a number of low-level feature light sources.

The pinstriped carpet and accentuated stitched ‘jeans’ fabric around the base of the bed is a fun nod to the City of London’s sartorial past, incorporating a side pocket for late-night reading. A large photographer’s lamp by Artisan reinforces the theme of playfulness and creates a warm atmosphere. A tan-leather headboard incorporates one of Sophie’s intricate, printed illustrations reminiscent of tattoo art and a second design printed on the concrete backdrop of the bar area serves as a creative centrepiece for the room.

"When Tina met illustration artist Sophie Mo by chance one day at her local coffee shop, Ozone, in Old Street, their conversation led to a highly creative series of collaborations on these original print designs for the headboards as well as concrete bathroom ‘Kraken’ splashbacks, designs which draw upon stories about the hotel’s past as well as the wider local area and help to reinforce the Andaz Liverpool Street’s distinctive personality and local provenance."

- Meredith Hull | Architect, Conran and Partners

Martin Usborne’s photography curated by Dais Contemporary, also features in each room, with copies of his books – published by Hoxton Mini Press – available in every room.

Norden continues: “Martin Usborne’s gritty, edgy photography and Sophie Mo’s headboard and splashback designs, in particular, have helped to bring the streets of Shoreditch directly into the rooms of the hotel, offering guests a strong visual connection between the internal settings of the hotel and the streetscapes of the surrounding area. Working closely with Dais Contemporary we selected a range of his unique East London-based photography – capturing the street life and characters of the area.

“Sophie’s illustrations draw upon the area’s history and its current status as the epicentre of coffee culture – as well as some more tongue-in-cheek elements such as some rogue Kraken in the bathrooms. Both contributions highlight stories about the hotel’s historic relationship with its locality and reinforce the Andaz’s distinctive personality and local connections.”

The bathrooms preserve the clean, timeless metro tiles from the original design, complemented by a number of new, modern features including black Dornbracht brassware and a contemporary floating sink by Laufen.

Other elements in the room strengthen the concept of ‘City meets Shoreditch’, including wing-backed chairs by Morgan in a mix of sober grey and vibrant purple fabric, and a bespoke bijou desk, as well as an upholstered feature unit holding the TV and space for books and artwork.