Chief has established a very strong design aesthetic through its US clubhouses, and London is now an extension of that. A cosy home from home that invites members in and offers space to connect, meet and relax.”
Project Details
- Client
- Chief
- Type
- Cat B
- Size
- 10,000 sq ft
- Location
- West End
Closely collaborating with their US designer Adrienne Laube as a consultant, the London space needed the consistency of the signature Chief branding, with its own London UK stamp. To achieve this, our collaborative approach with Adrienne meant that we could tap into her extensive Chief brand knowledge and hospitality expertise to ensure we were on the right track with the design from day one.
Unlike so many others, the story with this project did not start with a pitch in the traditional sense and very quickly became a collaboration project based on relationships that clicked from the first meeting. We understood their brand and ethos and wanted to embrace it in every single way. To do this we created a beautiful coffee table book that included stunning imagery of their chosen building, 22 Bedford Square and focused on the Thirdway company, the strong females within it and alignment with many of our own values.
As a Grade 1 listed building owned by Bedford Estates, the design had to be sympathetic to its culture and understanding what we could and couldn’t do was crucial. Once the green light was granted the process to transform this traditional and history enriched space into the UK Chief clubhouse could commence.
With an already very strong brand identity, the space was to be ungendered with the use of rich earthy tones with nothing being stereotypical ‘male’ or ‘female’. The overall look and feel was to create a warm, welcoming home from home that both UK members could work, socialise and collaborate in, as well as visiting Chief members from outside of the UK.
The design of the clubhouse needed to adopt the history of the beautiful Georgian building whilst marrying Chief’s ungendered style. Feature wall panelling, bold earthy tones and custom light fittings give the space a prestigious London feel whilst remaining comfortable and welcoming. We wanted a mix of what felt ‘Chief’ but with a London stamp on it; while also being sympathetic to the age of the building and the local London area”
There are two key features of note within the finished space, which include the ground floor main bar and the second-floor wine bar. Both are statement areas of multi-use and encapsulate the Chief brand with a London twist beautifully. Whilst the main bar features a mix of carefully considered soft seating, as well as stools around a stunning textured red bar, the wine bar is backed with focal deep green tiles that add beautiful depth and warmth to the space whilst keeping consistency with the other clubhouses and the heritage to the building.
We added subtle nods to London through the use of materials throughout the space, including the feature bar floor tiling in a traditional Georgian pattern, as well as using the infamous Piccadilly line upholstery as inspiration shown through soft furnishings.
A large consideration for the space from day one was to support wellbeing, culture and diversity and from the outset the design needed to reflect this. From the ungendered colour palette and the DDA compliant breakout spaces and call booths, to including braille on all signage, this was carefully considered and delivered throughout.
Overall, the finished project exceeded all expectations and is a truly beautiful space that we are proud to have worked on with Chief. The incredible attention to detail and design accents to bring a twist of London into the Chief brand were executed perfectly and deliver a truly stunning space with an undeniable London ambiance to set it apart from the rest.
project team
Abi Munslow
Managing Director
Alex Hodson
Senior Designer
Tom Gale
Head of Commercial
Milan Murphy
Technical Services Lead
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