Bulgari Hotel & Residences, by Squire & Partners architecture and design practice in collaboration with Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel & Partners, acknowledges Bulgari’s silversmith origins while combining luxury and sustainable design practices into one brand new building in the heart of Knightsbridge in London.
Margarita Boulaki of Squire and Partners will be among the speakers of the upcoming 3rd Conference of Architecture and Tourism which will take place on the island of Rhodes, in Greece on 20-21 October 2018 and her speech is titled Urban tourism: Destination London.
-text by the authors
In spring 2012 The Bulgari Hotel & Residences opened its doors in Knightsbridge, as the first new build luxury hotel in London for 40 years. Designed as a collaboration between Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel and Partners and London-based architects Squire and Partners, the creative partnership resulted in a bespoke product with an exemplary level of detail.
The Bulgari Hotel & Residences pay tribute to Bulgari’s silversmith origins and Britain’s manufacturing traditions with an elegant design concept with silver forming an underlying theme. Many of the furnishings and textiles throughout the hotel and residences were made exclusively for Bulgari crafted by Italian manufacturers.
The 85 rooms and suites feature exquisite detailing throughout, such as custom made silk curtains with patterns informed by classic Bulgari jewellery designs, and bed side lamps inspired by Bulgari’s silver candlesticks. The silver theme continues throughout the hotel and into the restaurant, bar and cigar shop with hand crafted Italian detailing such as two stunning solid silver Bulgari chandeliers in the Ballroom, creating a dramatic centrepiece.
With its own entrance from Knightsbridge Green, Il Bar provides the hotel’s social scene and the perfect place to enjoy an Italian aperitivo or to indulge in the traditional luxury of the hotel’s cigar shop. From Il Bar a sweeping silver staircase guides guests down to Il Ristorante, where guests can enjoy the finest Italian cuisine and wine.
A spacious spa spread over two floors features layers of onyx, teak and Vicenza stone.
Facilities include 11 private treatment rooms and one double spa suite with its own steam room, jacuzzi and private treatment room. In the main space guests can enjoy a 25m swimming pool, crafted from Vicenza stone and featuring a shimmering green and gold mosaic, and a 150m² fitness area with a fully-equipped gymnasium.
The Bulgari Hotel & Residences celebrates its silver screen heritage with a luxurious 47-seat screening room, offering cinema-quality sound and vision and an exclusively-curated library of more than 500 new and classic films. A business centre provides meeting facilities for events alongside boardrooms and private offices, as well as private dining rooms and a ballroom with pre-function room that can cater for up to 136 guests.
As a brand new building in the heart of Knightsbridge, the Bulgari Hotel & Residences 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. The development provides an ecologically-designed “green roof” with bird and bat boxes, the sponsoring of electric car charging points, and energy conserving intelligent lighting.
Geothermal energy has been integrated into the hotel building and was the first of its kind in the UK.
Facts and Credits
Architecture Squire & Partners with Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel & Partners.
Client Prime Development Limited
Planning Consultant The London Planning Practice
Quantity Surveyor Gardiner and Theobald
Structure WSP Structure
Services Briggs and Forrester
Discover more about Squire and Partners architecture and design practice, here!
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