London & South East Premier Hospitality

The Berkeley

Berkeley
Written by Roma Publications

The Berkeley

 

The Crescent Pavilion and The Grand Pavilion

After the successful launch of the luxurious Opus Suite at The Berkeley in 2014, acclaimed architect Andre Fu and his design studio AFSO have returned to this classic Knightsbridge hotel to create two new contemporary super-suites, The Crescent Pavilion and The Grand Pavilion.

Fu’s design for these two exceptional suites was inspired by his admiration for the free-standing glasshouse that epitomized the golden era of modernism. Set within new glasshouses by Rogers & Partners that are cleverly integrated within the hotel’s existing outside terraces, each pavilion exemplifies Fu’s signature language of relaxed luxury and contemporary classicism with an emphasis on understated English sensibilities.

Berkeley

Crescent Pavilion Suite

The Crescent Pavilion

Conceived to reflect the look and feel of a contemporary English country house, the 3200 square-foot Crescent Pavilion suggests the experience of a private residence surrounded by a lush English garden. With the focus on generous comfort, the Suite is also created as an ideal location for entertaining.

Guests enter this luxurious suite through a wood panelled passageway lined with delicate gold patina fabric to discover an exquisite living salon designed for small, intimate gatherings. Here, guests can also admire an installation of colourful canvas artworks by the Lebanese artist Etel Adnan.

At the end of the living salon, a curved portal sculpted entirely in solid volakas white marble heralds is the suite’s most stunning design feature– a vast 800 ft² glasshouse designed as a contemporary sunroom with 270 degree views over London’s cityscape and a  romantic terrace bordered by seasonal English flowers and lush topiaries.

Set within this pavilion is an area for entertaining that adjoins an alfresco lounge, as well as a dining space that seats twelve. The glasshouse is imbued throughout with Andre’s personal design touches – from the bespoke hexagonal rock glass chandelier, the intricate stained oak partitions with interlocking brushed brass brackets, to an island bar decked in precious Quartzite Aqua marble. The hand-tufted carpet in mint green and mineral grey, by Taiping Carpets, evokes the verdant lushness of the terrace in this city retreat.

The spirit of the living space continues in the master bedroom and a second en-suite bedroom with a palette of pale racing green, mineral grey and champagne gold. The Master Bedroom also features a sketch by French artist Jean Michel Othoniel.

Berkeley

Grand Pavilion Suite

The Grand Pavilion

The pinnacle of all hospitality experiences, the Grand Pavilion Suite is a two-bedroom sanctuary offering the ultimate urban escape.

Entering through a hallway decked with gloss-lacquered warm grey English panelling and upholstered with emerald green silk, guests are immediately confronted with the dramatic views of an open-fire pit, contrasted with a series of stone plinths that sets the base for an extensive lounge.

Included within the suite is a dining room that can host up to eight guests and a living room housed in the glass pavilion. The dining room is decorated with a backdrop of hand-embroidered wallcovering that echoes in hues of grey, mauve and ivory the rhythmic silhouette of raindrops, a pattern inspired by the works of the late Jean-Michel Frank.

In the living room Andre Fu has introduced a palette of dusty burgundy, pale emerald and mineral grey for the furniture, each specially designed with a nod to modernism. He has also created a small collection of antique brass lighting pendants that are reminiscent of London’s iconic streetlamps.

Set at the other end of the glass pavilion is the master bedroom. With 3-sided full height glazing and its own private terrace, the room features sculptural artworks by Conrad Shawcross, a king-size bed, a separate dressing area, as well as individual ‘his and hers’ walk-in wardrobes. The master bathroom epitomizes Fu’s signature style of relaxed luxury – a freestanding cast stone bathtub proudly stands in front of an impressive sculptural stone backdrop with solid Baltic grey marble carved into a series of full height ‘petals’ that appears to fold and unfold into each other. This expression of tactility is further enhanced with the antique brass bathroom fixtures by Kallista. The addition of a twin en-suite guest bedroom makes the Grand Pavilion ideal for family travels.

Both suites exude modern luxury, experimenting with texture and colour to create sanctuaries of tranquillity and unparalleled comfort. To view more projects from AFSO, please visit afso.net.

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Roma Publications