The Bulgari Hotel & Residences opened in Knightsbridge, London last year as the first brand-new luxury hotel to be built in the city for 40 years. The design pays tribute to Bulgari’s silversmith origins and Britain’s noble manufacturing traditions with an understated, elegant design concept with silver forming the underlying theme of the design.
The sleek architecture and refined interiors are designed by Antonio Citterio, Patricia Viel and Partners, with Squire and Partners as the local architect, coupling the Bulgari glamour and heritage with sustainable design features and state-of-the-art technology. Many of the furnishings and textiles throughout the hotel and residences are made exclusively for Bulgari crafted by Italian manufacturers.
“Constructing a new building in this part of London is an extraordinary achievement because the city tends to be extremely conservative due to its consolidated urban plan,” says Antonio Citterio. “The architectural style of the project reflects the rigour of the Bulgari Hotel in Milan: its classic, solid, contemporary style will consolidate the urban landscape in an area of London that is undergoing a profound transformation. In this sense, the use of Portland stone and bronze, which are typical materials of the architectural style of public buildings in London, and the meticulous facade design reveal a rigorous, modern approach to the theme.
“The design of the interiors is also strongly rooted in the traditions of the city, and the importance of the art of silversmithery for Bulgari represents a strong link with a certain image of English culture. Indeed, silver, along with noble woods and fine detailing, becomes the guiding theme of the interior design project.”
The reception lobby features polished black granite floors, which is combined in the walls with glossy sapele mahogany. The spaces are articulated by screens in brushed, mirrored and mesh steel. The lobby features reception and concierge counters in black leather and a display window dedicated to a collection of contemporary Bulgari silver as well as other display cases dedicated to Bulgari products.
The lounge has a white backlit ceiling and honed black granite floor, curtains in dark silver fabric and a fireplace in black granite and black cortain steel, furnished with Italian-made chairs and sofas covered in custom made fabrics.
Il Bar has black granite floor, polished Sapele mahogany walls and panels in mirrored and mesh steel with frames in glossy steel. The main element is the large oval bar clad in stainless steel, alternately polished and hammered, a one-of-a-kind piece crafted in Italy. The ceiling above the bar provides a direct and indirect lighting set into profiles with a titanium finish.
The bar is situated next to the double-heighted ceiling restaurant, where a polished steel railing entirely finished by hand in Italy, defines the space of the grand staircase. The walls are covered in metalised fabric and illuminated by custom made lighting, which illustrates the historic collection of Bulgari jewellery sketches from the 1920s and 30s.
The library is situated on the ground floor, adjacent to the main bar. Designed as a private room it has a large alcove featuring a display of rare spirits and a sampling area configured around a large steel fireplace set into a wall padded with dark brown silk. The walls are adorned by images of the dolce vita epoch from the Bulgari archive.
Il Ristorante is equipped with mahogany floors and walls. The banquette seating is finished in dark brown leather and booths upholstered in fabric and leather combination. The tables and chairs are custom designed and produced in a limited edition. The restaurant has three private dining rooms with silk walls and white cupola ceilings with bespoke lighting.
The Business Centre is a private and comfortable space with custom-made virgin wool carpets, sapele mahogany walls and bronze screens.
The hotel also features an exclusive screening room, a private cinema with 47 seats equipped with the most sophisticated audio visual technology. It will boast the highest standard of audio-video quality in the UK. The room is lined with padded panels covered in 3D fabric. The opaque black ceiling ensures the room is absolutely devoid of any sound reverberations.
The ballroom is dedicated to one entire floor, an ample entertainment space with a capacity of 140. The 7m- cupola hosts the two most impressive silver chandeliers ever produced in England, embodying the spirit of dancing, movement and celebration.
Additional lighting is provided by the latest LED technology. The ballroom comes complete with a pre-function foyer area which features a bar made of ribbed steel, glass and mirrors, and a cupola lined with white gold mosaic created and applied by Italian artisans.
The spa is one of the largest in the heart of London, with a three-lane, 25m-swimming pool as well as a vitality pool tiled with yellow, gold-leaf mosaic, the highest and richest expression of the Italian art of glass mosaic. The swimming pool is also lined with mosaic tiles in nuances of green and gold, while the walls and floors are made of sandblasted Vicenza stone. The columns around the pool are blocks of textured methacrylate. Vicenza stone, best known for its use in Palladio’s architecture, is utilised here for both walls and floors, and serves as a guiding theme for all the areas of the Spa. This stone has a strong personality thanks to its porosity and the presence of clearly-recognisable fossil.
The other material selected to represent the idea of nature and wellness is oak wood, stained to a cognac-coloured, golden tone. The spa features 12 treatment rooms, including a special double suite with changing room, steam shower and private relaxation room. A double hydro-massage tub and walls in green onyx, further emphasising its exclusivity.
Adjacent to the treatment rooms are the gender-specific areas featuring saunas, Turkish baths and ice shower facilities, all connected to a relaxation room lined entirely in Vicenza stone and dominated by a impressive vertical fireplace. The spa features a dedicated nail studio and an exclusive fitness room entirely in cognac-colored oak and fitted out with the latest state of the art equipment.
In the reception area of the spa, with a Vicenza stone floor and oak walls, the central element is the reception desk made of green onyx and glass and lit from behind. The stairway that leads to the private treatment rooms is created entirely from wood, while walls are in Vicenza stone and green glass.
On the five guest room floors, the 85 guest rooms and seven suites feature exquisite detailing throughout, such as custom-made silk curtains with patterns inspired by some of the classic Bulgari jewellery designs, and bedside table lamps inspired by Bulgari’s silver candlesticks. The silver theme continues right through the hotel into the restaurant and bar with hand-crafted Italian detailing such as two beautiful solid silver Bulgari chandeliers in the ballroom, creating a dramatic centrepiece.
The rooms are inspired by London’s nautical tradition. Woodwork in polished mahogany, white veined marble for the bathrooms, details in chrome, and a mini-bar incorporated into a traveller’s trunk designed and built for this project constitute the unifying thread for the extremely comfortable and inviting rooms, with custom virgin wool carpeting and silk wall coverings.
The lighting is warm and indirect, provided by the latest generation LED technology, and can be regulated to obtain the perfect level of visual comfort. The beds, also custom designed, are distinguished by a particularly sumptuous fabric shot through with gold and silver thread, custom-made and inspired by the original drawings of the earliest creations of Sotiro Bulgari, the founder, in the late 19th century. These designs are replicated in the curtains, where its effect is accentuated by lighting from below.
The suites have additional features, such as fireplaces, kitchens, dining rooms, offices, large walk-in wardrobes, terraces and views of Knightsbridge. Exclusive details include the showers in ivory onyx, carefully selected vintage Moroccan carpets from the Beni Ouarain tribes, contemporary chandeliers in Murano glass and upholstery fabrics specially designed and woven in Italy.
Il Bar is the heart of the hotel’s social scene and the perfect place to enjoy la dolce vita with an Italian apertivo at the bar, whilst in the luxury surrounds of the hotel’s cigar shop rare and vintage cigars can be sampled and purchased.
From Il Bar a sweeping silver staircase guides guests down to Il Ristorante, where they can enjoy menus incorporating the finest Italian cuisine and wine designed to complement the stylish and lavish atmosphere.
Also perfect for business matters, the business centre at the Bulgari Hotel & Residences, London provides sumptuous meeting facilities flexible enough to accommodate events of all kinds with two boardrooms and two private offices, as well as two private dining rooms and a ballroom with foyer that can cater for up to 140 discerning guests.
As a brand new build in the heart of Knightsbridge, the state-of-the-art Bulgari Hotel & Residences, London, employs pioneering methods of sustainable luxury and has been developed according to best practices in sustainable design set by BREEAM, the leading environmental assessment method for buildings. To meet the strict BREEAM criteria the hotel and residences feature such initiatives as an ecologically-designed green roof with bird and bat boxes, the sponsoring of electric car-charging points within the vicinity of the hotel, and energy-conserving intelligent lighting. Geothermal energy, a cost-effective, reliable, sustainable and environmentally-friendly form of energy generation, has been integrated into the hotel building and is the first of its kind in the UK.
