RPW Design has completed interior design, decorative lighting, furniture and finishes of all public areas and guest rooms of the newly opened InterContinental London Westminster. In just eleven months from appointment to opening, the interior designers have transformed Queen Anne’s Chambers, a former government building which is now home to 256 beautifully designed rooms including 44 luxury suites and an imposing penthouse. Welcoming and very English public areas at ground floor level have been designed to capture the traditions of the hotel’s illustrious neighbours in Westminster. Jan Wilson, owner and managing director of RPW, explains how local references were incorporated within the InterContinental Hotel Group’s brand guidelines, focussing on the very specific requirements of a property located in the heart of the government district and serving that market. The reception marble and mosaic floor has detail references to the floor at Westminster Abbey, and motifs from St James’s Park are also used to reference the design. The theme of the hotel’s signature artwork relates to various aspects of British political life in subtle and satirical ways.
The dominant feature of the principal guest lounge is a sculpture inspired by Jan Wilson and created by the studio “Evil Robot Designs”, who use re-cycled model toys to create very individual art. The concept here is a re-creation of the House of Commons, leaving visitors and guests to decide for themselves who is represented by the various characters that are present in this surreal version of the parliamentary chamber.
The hotel’s public rooms are set to become the new destination for members of the ‘Westminster Village’. In the Blue Boar Bar and Restaurant, which has its street entrance in adjacent Tothill Street, the designers created a series of public areas that feel intimate and private including secluded corners for private conversations, and a private drinking room. The Restaurant with its dark wood panelling and warm tones continues that tradition, and both areas operate as standalone elements in the development.
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