30 THE WORLD OF HOSPITALITY
GODDARD
Signage directing guests along the corridor is
in elegant brass lettering, whilst the corridors
are hung with a mixture of contemporary
photography of the Dalmatian coast, alongside
prints by Croatian artist Raul Percic, whose
paintings have a bold, angular personality that
compliments the photography, drawing on and
emphasising the extremes of light and shade
experienced when walking through Dubrovnik’s
streets.
THE LOBBY LOUNGE AND THE IMPERIAL
BAR
Leading off from the right of the ground floor
corridor and instantly visible through a series
of galleried archways are the scheme’s stunning
new public spaces – The Lobby Lounge and
The Imperial Bar – followed by the members-
only Executive Lounge. The entry arches are
clad, as per the corridor entrance arch, in
antiqued glass mirroring, with some arches
serving as entrances/exits and others as feature
decorative spaces, fully inset with brass-framed
shelving units that are filled with eye-catching
accessories. Both public areas, which form a
single, flowing space, are open all day, serving,
coffees, drinks and light lunches, serviced by
the bar located at the far end.
Two lighting features immediately take the eye,
one at the centre of each area. First, a bespoke
chandelier in The Lobby Lounge, inspired
by 1950s bathing caps, has cascading white
porcelain petal shapes set on a brass framework
and was made by Imagin. Secondly, The Imperial
Bar meanwhile features a bespoke, six-armed
chandelier in brass with spherical opal glass
shades, designed by Goddard Littlefair and
manufactured by Dekor. Wall lights in the sapce,
with ribbed, cylindrical glass surrounds are
identical to those in the reception waiting area.
The ceiling in The Lobby Lounge area is painted
white with new added decorative mouldings.
The right-side wall is painted a pale shade of
blue, as are the inner arches of the French
doors that line the wall and open out on the
terrace. Pole-hung curtains line the French
doors in off-white, with a blue leading edge.
The spaces feature three zoned seating
arrangements, demarcated by individual rugs
in blues and whites with a touch of coral, in a
take on an antique Persian rug, set on top of
timber chevron flooring that runs through the
entire space. The three rugs were designed by
Goddard Littlefair and made by Brinton’s. The
two end ones are identical, whilst the central
one is subtly different. Each seating zone
features a table, with a Carrara marble top
and either fine brass legs or a more substantial
dark-timber pedestal, and each has a different
seating arrangement. Chairs at both the end-
of-room set-ups are scoop-back armchairs in a
blue-grey velvet with a woven pale grey fabric
back, whilst the central chairs are all in grey
with a contrasting dark blue piped edging and
antiqued brass studs. Sofas are in upholstered in
a linen fabric, whilst scatter cushions are either
in blue with contrast piping or else in blue or
rust, introduced here in small doses for contrast,
with a central textile-design panel. A number
of higher tables for dining line the inside wall
of the space, in Carrara marble and brass, with
peacock blue velvet-upholstered ‘shell’ design
chairs with ebonised timber legs.
The Imperial Bar, located at the far end of
the space, is announced via a demarcating,
stand-out brass surround screen, featuring
brass shelving and fretwork panels set within
its side arches and across its top section, where
LED lights are also concealed. The screen was
manufactured, along with all joinery, mouldings,
case goods and furniture on the project by
Internova. Dark timber detailing links the screen
to the dark timber used for the furniture legs.
The brass screen was also specially-designed
to house a spectacular art piece – a second
commission by Croatian artist Antonia Cacić,
which sits at the centre of the screen and is
in fact a triptych once more. Two of its three
sections sit within the screen, with one facing
each way, with the third at the other end of
the space, to the rear of The Lobby Lounge.
Further artwork in the bar area includes a series
of 12 specially-commissioned monochrome
photograms of local flowers, printed as
negatives and arranged on unique, vertical-rod
brass picture rails.
The Imperial Bar has a pronounced deco
feel, with its shapes inspired by the arched
windows along the outside of the space. It has
a glass lightbox treatment for the rear bar wall,
featuring backlit ribbed glass set within a brass
framework and the lightbox area is contrasted
with a bespoke-designed blue wallpaper to the
sides and above, which continues round the
upper section of the walls in the bar space.