Image Credit : Gareth Gardner
Project Overview
When The George Hotel, Edinburgh was acquired by the client, Goddard Littlefair was appointed to refurbish the whole hotel, with the new bar and restaurant (named ‘The Printing Press’ in reference to one of the activities previously undertaken on the site) forming the central, destination attraction. The new, 92-cover, 186 sq m bar, plus a 116-cover, 207 sq m restaurant, under the direction of chef-restaurateur Des McDonald, with a grill-brasserie feel, was designed to offer maximum adaptability in order to attract day and night-time visitors with the full impact of a destination space.
Project Commissioner
Project Creator
Team
Goddard Littlefair is a luxury interior house, founded by Martin Goddard and Jo Littlefair in 2012, after 20 years’ experience of leading projects in the design and architectural industry at some of London’s biggest-name practices. The company’s fast growth and the plaudits it has amassed in the media and award schemes have seen it become a major player in a relatively short space of time.
Goddard Littlefair currently works in the following sectors: developer and private residential schemes; hotels, spas and on individual hospitality projects, such as bars, cafes and restaurants. We are also currently working with clients outside these domains about applying our luxury design expertise to the worlds of healthcare and retail, as well as yacht and maritime interiors.
Martin Goddard and Jo Littlefair closely direct the company’s design ethos, which is based on human responses to an environment - space, light, textures and ?nishes – and the great creative collaboration that comes from having real trust and understanding with each and every client, partner and supplier.
As people, the Goddard Littlefair team are responsive, flexible and outward-facing, dedicated to great results for our clients and their end-users. As designers we are great listeners and passionate about our subject, with an impeccable eye for fine detail. We understand that true luxury is tactile, sensory and more than surface-deep; that is has to be as seductive at first sight as it flawless under close examination.
Goddard Littlefair’s clients include: Canary Wharf Group; Qatari Diar; Corinthia Hotels; Berkeley Homes; CIT; The Gleneagles Hotel; Ennismore; Starwood Capital Hotels; Hilton Hotels and Intercontinental Hotels. Our project work takes us all over the world and we currently have live or completed projects in the UK, Germany, Hungary, Portugal, Austria and Russia. Our most recent public domain work has been for The Gleneagles Hotel and the Royal York Hotel in the UK. Our projects have been published all over the world in leading design, hospitality and property journals, as well as in national newspapers such as The Sunday Times, The Telegraph, The Scotsman and Scotland on Sunday.
Here’s what the papers say:
‘World-class interior design firm’
(BELLE Magazine, Australia)
‘Outstanding interior design company’
(Decoration Digest, Spain)
‘Internationally renowned’
(Robb Report, USA)
‘Goddard Littlefair is sought after because their work is consistently good and predictably unique’
(9fi5th property magazine, USA)
In 2015, our residential projects won both an ‘Evening Standard New Homes Award’ and a ‘Sunday Times British Homes Award’, whilst our hotel interiors won Gold at the London Design Awards. Our newly-completed refurbishment of the Royal York Hotel has just been named ‘Hotel of the Year’ at the Visit York Awards and is shortlisted twice over for the European Hotel Design Awards 2016.
http://www.goddardlittlefair.com
Project Brief
The brief for the new hospitality space was for a fully-flexible F&B offer, aimed at Edinburgh’s residents and visitors to the city as well as hotel guests. The space needed to give a sense of instant establishment, as if it had been around forever, fitting seamlessly with the listed building fabric.
‘Restored grandeur’ was the key directive, with respect paid to the building’s naturally-imposing proportions. Materials were to be authentic and high-quality, with a nod to the building’s industrial heritage.
The large restaurant and bar space has to flow into and adjoin one other in order to maximise footfall throughout a three-meal service day, with the bar open throughout and the restaurant concept masterminded by chef-restaurateur Des McDonald, with a grill-brasserie feel and authentic Scottish direction.
Project Innovation/Need
Whilst the overall footplate was as existing, the kitchen now serves the dining room directly, rather than being separated as it had been before. Guests enter directly from the hotel or from the street’s listed revolving door entrance, with the whole front-to-back space given over to the bar and restaurant, with picturesque views of Edinburgh’s old alleyways to the rear.
To improve flow, the bar counter has been moved from its former location, where it tended to block restaurant access at peak times, to a raised level to one side, with the restaurant served by a dedicated dispense bar.
As well as satisfying spatial and operational needs, the space succeeds in bringing Edinburgh a unique new day-to-night offer with a distinct atmosphere and feel:
‘It’s cosy and decorated in a 1920s speakeasy style. Soft lighting from chandeliers above you and ‘gas style’ wall lighting combined with large white and black marble floor tiles give the feeling of being in Manhattan for a moment not Edinburgh.’
(The Luxury Editor)
‘The space is classy and sassy….The Printing Press has hit the ground running, with an ambition as bright and clear as its twinkling chandeliers.’’
(The List Eating and Drinking Guide 2016)
Design Challenge
The hotel is formed of five townhouses and is listed, meaning there were many questions over what had to – and what ought to – be retained. High-quality original features, including the ceiling and walls, were enhanced via a special antique finish was used to restore the decorative plasterwork friezes. New flooring throughout includes herringbone dark-stained oak and chequerboard tiling. All joinery is bespoke and in oak, including the bar, which has black metal and brass gantries with inset light to set off the displays of glass and spirits.
‘Restored grandeur’ was the brief and the execution has hit this note perfectly, as well as ensuring a space that works much better operationally and answers all the tricky demands of a day-to-night offer.
Sustainability
We worked with all listed features and stipulations and, wherever possible, retained and enhanced original features such as cornicing, as well as ensuring as much LED and low-energy lighting usage as possible.
Accessories refer to Edinburgh’s literary heritage and include excerpts from correspondence; a display of vintage type-writers and Scottish novels, as well as vintage printing press lettering, referring to the building’s very first usage as a printing press.
Interior Design - Hospitality
This award celebrates innovative and creative building interiors, with consideration given to space creation and planning, furnishings, finishes, aesthetic presentation and functionality. Consideration also given to space allocation, traffic flow, building services, lighting, fixtures, flooring, colours, furnishings and surface finishes.
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