Image Credit : Gareth Gardner
Project Overview
Goddard Littlefair created this three-bedroom, 220 sq m duplex apartment for independent real estate firm CIT to help launch South Bank Tower, a prestigious new London residential development This stunning ‘Black Edition’ show apartment, completed in late Spring 2016, is spread over a west-facing corner location of the South Bank Tower building, on the 36th and 37th floors, offering spectacular views, especially of the evening sunset over London’s west end.
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 client asked for a comfortable, luxurious and sophisticated living space that drew upon the modernist history of the building without being overly ‘mid-century’ in style. A warm and timeless approach was called for. The design team responded with a striking concept whose strong colour palette was inspired by the glorious colour spectrum projected upon the apartment at sunset - rusts and ochres, supported by a secondary palette of grey, oyster, soft blues and teals.
A striking hanging sculpture in the living space is a central feature. Strong, beautiful and transparent, the sculpture, referencing the distinct verticality of the building’s architecture, catches the eye and adds to, rather than detracts from, the views beyond. Designed by Goddard Littlefair in conjunction with Jona Hoad, this beautiful sculpture compliments the apartment’s colour spectrum by refracting warm hues across the space as its catches the sun’s light.
Project Innovation/Need
The design team sought to impart depth, character and interest through a carefully selected range of modern classic and innovative bespoke furniture pieces, all of which respect the building’s modernist heritage in terms of style and which also exercise restraint via simple forms, which seek to express a version of bespoke luxury that is revealed over time through subtlety and precision detailing.
The main living space is ingeniously subdivided, with double-height decorative screens and a bespoke handmade rug defining a formal sitting area in which to socialise and enjoy the view (the armchairs even have a concealed swivel mechanism to enhance this!). A more intimate 'library' area provides space for more solitary moments. A separate dining area also capitalises on the backdrop of the city and is enriched with an elegant cylindrical chandelier.
Artwork throughout the apartment makes reference to the building’s former life as King’s Reach Tower, the home of IPC Media. Iconic magazine covers and personalities of this era adorn the walls. The art also makes reference to cubist and modernist influences through the bronze ‘Rising Structure’ by Antonio Lopez Reche, featured in the dining area, as well as further bespoke-commissioned artwork by Louise Seabrook.
Design Challenge
The details and specifications for the architectural shell/base build of the apartment were already in place and under construction when Goddard Littlefair was appointed. However, in order to fulfill our vision for the space and enhance the experience of living here, we felt strongly that some intervention and deviation from the original build plans was necessary.
This 'intervention’ in a live construction programme was extremely challenging, though a strong working relationship between the main contractor, our client and ourselves enabled us to overcome this. Installation of the scheme whilst the upper floors of the building were still being completed also proved challenging and necessitated careful coordination.
Sustainability
It is our aim and policy to specify and select furnishing, artwork and decorative pieces responsibly. Our default position is to source locally where possible, evidenced by the selection of accessories on this project by Jo Littlefair London, which are hand crafted in the UK, and to use suppliers with a proven track record in sustainability.
Interior Design - Residential
This award celebrates innovative and creative building interiors with consideration given to space creation and planning, furnishings, finishes and aesthetic presentation. Consideration also given to space allocation, traffic flow, building services, lighting, fixtures, flooring, colours, furnishings and surface finishes.
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