The Wigmore
With the potential to become a London social institution, The Wigmore opened this summer as a social drinking, eating and meeting place. Taking inspiration from the great British public houses of the past, The Wigmore has been brought into the public sphere by The Langham, London and the team behind the iconic Artesian.
The Wigmore is housed in a former banking hall located on Regent Street that has been transformed by Martin Brudnizki Design Studio into a space that evokes the familiarity of a great British institution combined with a touch of luxurious elegance. London-based Jaysam was chosen to bring this design to life. As part of the work the company was also tasked with overhauling the Langham’s basement spa at the same time. Dhiraj Dabasia, Director at Jaysam, spoke to Premier Hospitality about the work:
“At the beginning we were given full set of tender drawings and tender documents. The client had a scheme designed by an architect and interior designer and we were briefed of that scheme. We met with the client, visited the hotel, reviewed the documents and put together a competitive tender.
credit images: James McDonald
“Effectively the project was two floors, the ground floor and the basement floor. Starting with the ground floor you have The Wigmore which is based on a traditional English pub. The bar features very high end finishes and replicates a traditional English pub but obviously it’s within a high end London hotel. There are also two VIP hospitality rooms serving the main bar along with a brand new kitchen space.
“On the basement floor we basically stripped the existing spa back to its shell and replaced it with a brand new spa. This includes treatment rooms, steam rooms, a sauna, a partial swimming pool fit out, a new gym and new changing rooms. Again this was a very high end fit out. We were working with materials such as high end veneer, timber stained finishes, terrazzo flooring and a lot of bronze metal work.”
Work on the project began in January 2017 and ran for 26 weeks. This timeframe proved to be one of biggest challenges along with the fact the rest of the hotel remained open while work was carried out. Dhiraj added:
“The client is very happy with the finished product and is very convinced of our ability, both in terms of quality and delivering on time. As a result we are currently in discussions about carrying out a smaller fit out at the hotel.
“For us this type of project doesn’t normally come around. We generally focus on high end residential and high end luxury retail. Doing a hotel project though is no different to what we’re used to but we now have a footing in this area and have demonstrated our capabilities.”
Food at The Wigmore is overseen by Michel Roux Jr with a menu of hearty British fare including raised veal and ham pie, devilled lamb’s kidneys and paprika-glazed short rib with bone marrow crumb. The drink side of the business is being handled by the team behind award winning cocktail bar Artesian. Visitors can choose from great wines, cask ales and craft beers, including The Wigmore’s very own house ‘Saison’ brewed in partnership with Bermondsey’s ‘Brew By Numbers’, together with cups of punch, house ‘hoptails’ and a selection of London classic mixed drinks.
As with the neighbouring streets of the area, The Wigmore is named after Robert Harley, Baron of Wigmore of Herefordshire, 1st Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer. Paying homage to Harley’ notable influence on London’s literary past with the Scriblerus Club, his coat of arms feature throughout the tavern’s identity.
The Wigmore has already become one of London’s most talked about openings for 2017 and is set to be social hub for many years to come.
credit images: James McDonald
The Langham, London
The Langham, London was opened in 1865 by HRH The Prince of Wales as Europe’s first ‘Grand Hotel’ with an unrivalled location at the top of Regent Street. After an extensive transformation, The Langham, London has refined The Art of the Stay, offering luxurious guestrooms and suites, classically styled and evoking a warm residential feel with flawless service.
The Langham’s bars and restaurants include the award winning Palm Court, Artesian Bar and Landau restaurant, all overseen by culinary icons Michel Roux Jr and Albert Roux OBE.
Chuan Spa Body + Soul provides a pampering haven and is London’s first luxury hotel spa to incorporate the ancient principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine into its signature treatments and ambience.
The Langham, London is part of Langham Hotels & Resorts, with over 20 distinctive hotels and more than 30 projects in development from Asia, Europe and North America to the Middle East.
