Tag: london

Assembly Hotel, London

On our recent trip to London we were invited to stay at Assembly, a new hotel connecting guests to the heart of the city through its mantra ‘Get Up and Go’. If you love feeling the energy of London and being nearby to the main attractions keep on reading to find out why Assembly Hotel is the perfect place to stay.

www.assemblyhotels.com

Located in the West End, just next to Leicester Square underground station, and with Soho and Covent Garden on the doorstep, Assembly is designed for curious travellers who want to explore the city and experience London like a local.

The moment you walk into the hotel you can feel the urban vibe. The pink bunnies in the reception area – a recurring theme in the rooms and the rest of the hotel – and the friendly staff greet the guests and provide all the information you might need about the city and its secret spots. That’s why Assembly is perfect for those individuals who want to explore London and then have a place with all the essentials to spend the night, and get ready for another day of exploring.

The striped back rooms have been created to recharge. Designed by architects Scott Brownrigg, the 4 different types of rooms (Snug, Nest, Pad and Den) are inspired by iconic London fashion designers Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney and Gareth Pugh, with recognisable elements from their designs incorporated into the rugs, beds and other details of the space.

Assembly doesn’t have unnecessary room amenities like overpriced mini bars or telephones but you will find comfortable beds, different pillow sizes and walk-in showers – everything you need for a good night’s rest. The stunning views from the rooms will make you feel even more immersed in London’s bustling streets but without the noise thanks to the incredible sound proofing.

The hotel experience is completed with a rooftop terrace that will open really soon and that also offers great views of London’s skyline and its iconic landmarks such as the London Eye or The Shard.

July 24, 2018
Cascabel’s London

Cascabel is a multidisciplinary creative studio, founded in Buenos Aires by Estefi Panizza and Diego Jalfen, and based in London. Cascabel specialises in unique bespoke experiences, working with global lifestyle clients across a wide range of industries – from art and gastronomy to design and technology.

Estefi and Diego are also the founders of Radio Cascabel, a project we’ve talked about before and that they describe as “an online platform for the musicians and artists who are creating the sounds of tomorrow.” Radio Cascabel works with NTS Radio, the British Council, Resonance FM/Extra and hosts a monthly column on Monocle 24, as part of their art and culture review program. Radio Cascabel’s latest event, Greetings from Space, will take place at the new EXP Cantina by the canal in Hackney Wick on August 10th and will bring together the best of Argentinian and British music, food and culture – you can find more information about the event on Resident Advisor.

We asked Estefi and Diego to share with us some of their favourite places in London.

Institute of International Visual Arts

This place is a visual arts organisation based in East London that collaborates with contemporary artists, curators and writers. We discovered them through this music exhibition inspired in London’s first magazines for improvisers, sonic artists and musicians during the 70’s and 80’s.

www.iniva.org

1 Rivington Place, EC2A 3BA

Second Home

This amazing co-working space is where we choose to work every day, have meetings and attend to workshops. We produced an event for their cultural programme based on silence walks around East London to contemplate the sounds that surround us, WALK AND LISTEN PROJECT, with their support and with Argentinian sonic artist Ulises Conti. Second Home describes itself as ‘a new type of workspace and creative hub‘.

www.secondhome.io

68-80 Hanbury St, E1 5JL

Rough Trade

As you might know, London is a very musical city. This is our favourite record shop and where we go to see lots of live music shows, such us Factory Floor, Mac Demarco and Angel Olsen Music among others.

www.roughtrade.com

The Old Truman Brewery, 91 Brick Ln, E1 6QL

Rochelle Canteen

This is the place where we love to have lunch. It looks out onto the grassy playground and the trees of Arnold Circus. Whenever it’s warm enough the tables are set outside for a peaceful meal in the sun. The food is provided by Arnold & Henderson, who established the Rochelle Canteen in 2004 and since then, it has rapidly become one of London’s destination restaurants.We handpicked this spot for one of our Seasonal Banquets, a marketing activation we developed for a winery group in the UK.

www.rochelleschool.org/rochellecanteen

Arnold Circus, E2 7ES

London Centre for Book Arts

This is an artist-run, open-access studio dedicated to book arts and artist-led publishing. We love this place because you can see the work process and how things get done. It is a hidden gem, located in Hackney Wick and one block away from Exp Cantina, the new venue where we will host our ‘Greetings from Space’ event.

www.londonbookarts.org

Dace Road, E3 2NQ

July 30, 2017
London Cyclist with Expedia

We recently collaborated with Expedia on a cycling route around East and North London for their London Cyclist guide. We often travel to London for work and the route we suggested, from Borough Market to Camden Town, is one of our favourites when we are visiting and have some free time.

You can find more about this route and all our recommended shopping and eating stops on the following link:

www.city-cycling.expedia.co.uk/london/heading-north-past-markets-and-waterways

Gulliver’s Wharf in Wapping

Regent’s Canal

Donlon Books in Broadway Market

Present & Correct in Islington

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February 9, 2017
Exploring Shoreditch with CitizenM

Located in the heart of East London’s most famous district, the new CitizenM Shoreditch has everything you need to explore all that this vibrant area has to offer. We stayed at this recently opened hotel and selected some of our favourite places in Shoreditch for this mini guide.

CitizenM Shoreditch

Designed by Amsterdam-based architecture and interior design firm concrete, CitizenM Shoreditch is the latest CitizenM hotel in London. The brand’s affordable luxury ethos is present in the 216 rooms and communal areas of the hotel, combined with a relaxed atmosphere and the lively streets of Shoreditch as a background.

The surrounding street art is extended into the hotel with a commissioned piece by AVAF located next to the hotel’s entrance. Art is also prominent inside the hotel, especially in the lobby area where several pieces are exhibited and limited editions at affordable prices can even be purchased. The hotel’s lobby is also home to the self check-in area, where you can easily select your room and its views, and the canteen where you can enjoy a delicious breakfast buffet in the morning or cocktails and craft beers in the evening.

Design is an essential aspect of CitizenM and you can find many pieces of furniture by Vitra, from chairs to lamps, throughout the hotel. The lobby’s shelves are filled with art, fashion and design books curated by MENDO, an Amsterdam-based bookshop considered one of the best in the world for design titles.

The hotel’s rooms are equipped with everything you might need for a short stay in London. One of the most interesting features is the big window, extending across the room’s width and providing amazing views of the area. The 2 x 2 metre bed is also impressive and we can guarantee you’ll have a good night’s sleep. Other details that make CitizenM different to other hotels you might stayed in include the moodpad from which you can control the entire room – from the colour of the lights and temperature to the TV and blinds – and the high pressure rain shower with AM and PM shampoo/gel designed by the talented noses responsible for creations by Comme des Garçons and Helmut Lang.

CitizenM Shoreditch – 6 Holywell Ln, EC2A 3ET

www.citizenm.com

Eat & Drink

Shoreditch is filled with restaurants, food markets, cafés and bars so you won’t really need to leave this area of the city to find exactly what you want.

To start your day with a hearty breakfast or brunch (breakfast is served all day), head to The Breakfast Club, an independent chain of cafés founded in 2005 with locations all across London. It can be quite busy but we can assure you won’t mind waiting for the Huevos Rancheros, the All American and other delicious choices from their menu.

The Breakfast Club – 2-4 Rufust St, N1 6PE

If you like food trucks and food markets, you’ll find plenty in Shoreditch. You can grab lunch at Ely’s Yard Food Market at The Old Truman Brewery, with vendors changing regularly and often included in articles about the best food trucks in London. For dinner try Pump, a former petrol station now home to a great selection of food trucks offering dishes from all around the world.

Ely’s Yard – 91 Brick Lane, E1 6QL
Pump – 168 Shoreditch High St, E1 6HU

Finish your day with drinks at The Commercial Tavern, a pub with quirky interiors where you can enjoy a great selection of draft beers and also tasty pizzas at affordable prices.

The Commercial Tavern – 142-144 Commercial St, E1 6NU

Shop

From vintage clothing and books to homewares and the latest designer pieces, the shopping offer in Shoreditch is impressive.

The best way to start your shopping day in Shoreditch is to visit Boxpark, just across the road from CitizenM Shoretich. Opened in 2011, Boxpark is composed of refitted shipping containers offering affordable and flexible leases for lifestyle brands, cafés and galleries. A great place to discover new brands and buy something unique.

Boxpark – 2-10 Bethnal Green Rd, E1 6GY

A few minutes away from Boxpark you can find Labour and Wait, a general store selling a carefully curated collection of new and vintage items, celebrating functional design and ranging from stationery and clothing to kitchenware and outdoor products.

Labour and Wait – 85 Redchurch St, E2 7DJ

London brand You Must Create (YMC) has their flagship store in the heart of Shoreditch. The ethos behind the brand is to take a traditional item and rework it to create something modern, giving a timeless quality to its clothes.

YMC – 23 Hanbury Street, E1 6QR

If you’re interested in books and magazines don’t forget to pay a visit to Artwords, a bookstore specialising in contemporary visual arts and covering subjects including photography, fashion, architecture, graphic design, fine art and critical theory.

Artwords – 69 Rivington Street, EC2A 3AY

Enjoy

Shoreditch is filled with street art by emerging and established artists (look for Banksy’s pieces on Rivington Street). Wander around the numerous lanes and streets to discover colourful and impressive pieces all across the area.

For an unrivalled cinema experience head to Electric Cinema, with screenings for up to 50 people. Enjoy your movie from a comfortable armchair with cosy cashmere blankets. The cinema is part of Barber & Parlour, a three-floor space where you can get manicures, haircuts, beard trims and even food.

Electric Cinema – 64-66 Redchurch Street, E2 7DP

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November 29, 2016
Hannah Morgan

From her studio in London, Hannah Morgan works on a variety of projects across art and fashion, ranging from sculpture and performance to trend and colour forecasting. We caught up with Hannah to find out more about how her interest in design began, her inspirations and how collaboration plays a vital role in her work.

www.hannahmorganstudio.com

Photographs by Ellie Tsatsou.

Could you please introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about your background and education?

Hi! My name is Hannah Morgan, I am a maker of objects, that spans art, design, and fashion. I’m a native Londoner, and I’m thankfully still able to live and work not far from where I grew up.

My first degree was in Film Theory and English Literature at the University of Sussex. I then went into assisting fashion and photographic art directors, and Trend Forecasting at East Central studios before embarking on a series of making courses (notably Kensington and Chelsea Collage) before ending up in the Fashion Department at the Royal Collage of Art under the supervision of Julie Verhoeven/Tristian Webber/Noel Stewart. It was there that I felt like I had entered Willy Wonka’s factory – the scope of what I could make, think about, and engage with was mind blowing!

After the RCA MA as well as setting up my own practice I worked at Studio Xo for clients such as Wayne McGregor/Lady Gaga. In my own studio I undertake a variety of projects as well as assisting artists such as Julie Verhoeven (as a performer), colour consultant Hilary Scarlett, and collaborating with fantastic creatives like Robert Binet, Ellie Tsatsou, and Liam Hodges.

Do you remember about when you first got interested in design?

It probably started in the Dalston Oxfam when I was a kid, I was given free reign to get my outfit… it was an explosion of expression! I grew up in a family of artists/architects/writers that valued looking analytically at the world, and encouraged the ideas and creativity of even the youngest members. So design, fashion and art were always around, a trick of circumstance and osmosis that initially shaped my interests.

I think design became something that I wanted to know more about as an adult when I studied film for my BA. I was intrigued by the importance of objects in a scene or what the dress of a character signified within the narrative, from a character’s psychological state to a plot twist. It was through the screen that the power of design and its meanings in popular culture were reflected back, and I was hooked.

You describe your work as interdisciplinary, could you tell us a little bit more about it and where your inspiration comes from?

My work has always been about process and ideas and I am interested in the way in which the same ideas can apply across different media and disciplines. I find I’m too inquisitive about different processes and outcomes when investigating a subject or idea. If a photograph/film/sound fulfils a direction, then I’m content with that, if a sculpture works better on a wall than a body, that’s fine. I think in the process of play, discovery, and mishaps are vital as a maker. That need to be definitive has become less important as I went through different education and contexts, I still hold on to some stubbornness though – you know when something is right.

My focus or inspiration comes from trying things out around a subject. Since the RCA I have been investigating the relationship between a body and object. I can’t seem to shake it, probably because the subject can have so many different interpretations and change according to context. It feels like there are infinite possibilities!

At the moment I’ve been looking at Neolithic statues, listening to D’Angelo and the Reith Lectures, watching A.Curtis’ HyperNormalization, eating curry, and if I’m lucky go for long walks in and around the city.

Could you tell us about your collaborative work?

I have always preferred working with other people, especially if they come from a different context or creative background; it’s the easiest way to learn and challenge your work and the world. At the moment I’m very privileged to be working with choreographer Robert Binet, who is based in Canada. We are using his imagination of what a body can do, and my methods of analysing and abstracting form to re-interpret the language of movement in a space. I’m also at the beginnings of a project with the photographer Ellie Tsatsou, looking at making and documenting processes and methods.

Collaboration is key! I recommend it to everyone – even if you’re colluding with someone over the dinner! We are all in part a product of circumstance, who we are friends with, where we are born, etc. I’m so happy and lucky to be where I am right now, and crossing paths with the people I do, it’s a sobering thought in today’s world.

What are your plans for the upcoming months?

At the moment I’m working on an exhibition that will open on 2nd of December, Works in Progress: Haptic Methodologies, at Second Six Galley in Dalston. It is a mixture of sculpture, photographs, film and ephemera looking at the ongoing relationship between my body (as performative) and an object (as static), and its impact on the making process. Also coming up is more collaborative performances with Robert Binet across the pond and here in London.

November 24, 2016