What ’ s more , the building was ‘ landlocked ’ by surrounding buildings , meaning there was no room to expand outside of the existing boundaries . Other obstacles included :
• Logistical problems on the upper two floors as a result of a previous fire which required the existing rafters to be doubled up .
• A challenge to attempt to get services through the building , also due to the fire , meaning routes had to be changed constantly throughout the process .
• The existing floor levels were chaotic , causing many issues when managing the floor levels and head heights .
However , the team at Harrison recognised the fantastic potential in the building to maximise the space available and bring back to life the original features that make it unique , emphasised and underpinned by the additional design touches created by the Harrison team . To do this , they made some vast changes to how the space is utilised :
• Acoustic flooring and doors were put in place to reduce the transfer of noise between the pub and hotel bedrooms .
• The raised level flooring was taken out to make the area flow better .
• The cinema was removed to create more room for the bar and restaurant .
• The kitchen was expanded to increase capacity and fully re-fitted with state-ofthe-art equipment .
• Modern toilets were installed where part of the cinema used to be .
• To separate the pub off from hotel guests at night , screen details were put in place , which are both functional and beautiful .
• A lift was added to increase accessibility for the hotel and ensure it had a fully accessible bedroom .
Jackie Mingo , Associate Design Director at Harrison , comments : “ Despite having worked with Young ’ s & Co for 20 plus years , this was by far one of the biggest projects we have worked together on . A complete transformation . We wanted to get this right – honouring the rich history the building has seen over its years standing , which is why we embarked on such an in-depth research project . It laid the foundations of everything from the look and feel , to the space ’ s identity , to the re-designed customer journey , and finally the little extra touches which continue to tell the story at every twist and turn .
“ We are immensely proud of what we have achieved . We feel we have showcased the rich history of the building itself and brought it back to its full potential . Each piece of furniture , design , and little details are selected to add to the character of the building and bring out the art deco feel it once captured so well .”
CREATING A NEW ERA OF THE ROARING ‘ 20S
Delving into the history of the building , the team at Harrison conducted thorough research on the building ’ s illustrious past , uncovering that in the 1920 ’ s it had indeed been a cocktail bar before . This sparked the inspiration to bring back the art deco and roaring ‘ 20s feel . This became the cornerstone of the identity of Hort ’ s Townhouse and central to the transformation of the ground floor .
The dining area has been re-vamped to include quintessential art deco features and stylisations , capturing the opulence and ambitious optimism of ‘ 20s design . Blue-paneling and deco-inspired artwork adorn the walls while vintage lamps provide soft lighting in the feature rooms with a hero chandelier hanging from the centre of the room .
Leather chairs and booths create intimate dining spaces with eclectic décor hanging from the walls . Art deco-inspired mirrors bring rectilinear geometry to the space , lining the walls and making the room look and feel bigger . The layout includes separate spaces with a mix of sofas and tables and larger seating sections at the back .
The bar features a long , expansive wood counter and arched mirrors bring motion to reflect aerodynamic curves , as well as reflecting the back bar to create the feeling of grandeur and excess . Vintage tile flooring and textured terracotta ceilings are enhanced by wall lights and pendants , as well as floor and table lamps . www . refurbandrestore . co . uk - 35