The Boundary

London

London, with its more than 7 million inhabitants is one of the world’s most cosmopolitan cities. As the former capital of the world’s largest colonial empire, its population includes more than 50 nationalities with about 300 different languages spoken. This city of numerous villages, each with its own identity, is an immense multi-cultural patchwork that vibrates with activity both day and night.

In the East End, Shoreditch, which includes Spitalfields and Whitechapel where Jack the Ripper stalked his victims in the 19th century, has become one of London’s trendiest quarters. This quarter, which in the early 20^th century, was filled with slaughterhouses, cheap restaurants, bordellos and small, seedy, ill reputed streets, was devastated during World War II.

Almost totally abandoned 20 years ago, this working class neighborhood began to attract artists of all kinds. Graffiti specialists, designers and photographers came here seeking inspiration in its lower depths. Art galleries opened in former brick warehouses, vintage shops replaced the slaughterhouses and design cafes invaded the quarter.

A tribute to design

It was in East London, in the very trendy Shoreditch quarter that Vicky and Terence Conran created their hotel. Located in a former printing house with a red brick façade, theBoundary is a tribute to 20^th century design.

Sir Terence Conran, the renowned British decorator, designed 12 rooms and 5 suites, each different from the other, and each with respect for the style of the designer, the architect or the movement to which it belongs. Guests can therefore sleep in rooms dedicated to Le Corbusier, Andrée Putman, Charlotte Perriand, the Bauhaus school or the “Young British Designers’” room, thus taking visitors on a journey through a century of design. Extraordinarily decorated elevators created by Adam Simpson, a local artist, take guests to their rooms. The doors are different depending on the floor and the corridors are filled with works of art.

The particularly spacious rooms, especially for London, all measuring more than 30 square meters, have a warm atmosphere and a very powerful visual identity, thanks to the materials used including wood furniture, leather armchairs, bed heads with print fabrics, thick carpetsand the style they inspire. The rooms possess armchairs by Eileen Gray, Mies Van Der Rohe or Lisa Whatmoug and a number of works of art from Terence Conran’s private collection.

The works of more than 50 artists, photographers, graphic designers and other creators are spread throughout the rooms, giving them each a personal touch. Lady Vicky Conran, Terence Conran himself, David Tang, Priscilla Carluccio and Polly Dickens each designed one of the suites.

In the suite created by Polly Dickens, a distant descendant of Charles Dickens, the Chesterfield sofas and two color tiles take the visitor back to the Shoreditch of her renowned ancestor. In the Priscilla Carluccio suite, Italian design is dominant. The use of chrome and light colored surfaces, illuminated by a suspended Zettel lamp, give the suite a very pure aspect.

The most sumptuous suite is that of David Tang, the owner of the celebrated « China Clubs » of Hong Kong and Singapore. Inspired by his own house by the sea, on the Sai Kung peninsula, the suite reflects modern Chinese design and David Tang’s inimitable style. With its precious silken paper and the choice of orange formica, the suite is reminiscent of the atmosphere of Shanghai in the 1950s.

In this design hotel, there are three different venues for dining. On the ground floor, a long room, all in white wood and lit by large hanging lamps is home to the Albion café-bakery and food store, ideal for a tasty snack. The Chateau Boundary in the basement, with its arches and brick alcoves, is decorated with elegant Bordeaux and blue indigo velvet chairs. An updated version of French cuisine is served under the stars of an optical fibre ceiling, in the midst of antiques and unusual works art like Richard Smith’s “Breaking the Boundary.”

And if you prefer a real rooftop setting, head for the grill. Located on the roof, in a veritable hanging garden, guests can choose from a wide variety of grilled dishes, while seated in the shadow of a century old olive tree.

The rooftop terrace also has an open air fireplace for visitors sensitive to the cold.