Hilton - Liverpool

As Hilton announced plans to roll out a comprehensive £20m refurbishment programme to a number of the best-known Hilton Hotels across the UK, the latest addition to the portfolio was celebrating its grand opening.

The newbuild Hilton Liverpool hotel is situated at the gateway to Liverpool One, a mixed-use development encompassing shops and leisure facilities masterplanned by architects BDP and Pelli Clarke Pelli.
Aedas was invited by the developer Grosvenor to undertake the design of a landmark hotel that would link the retail area to the Mersey waterfront. The resulting structure, based on the geometry of a curve, wraps around one corner of the adjacent parkland with one façade facing inland, and the other towards the docks. The building is clad in reconstructed white stone chosen for its clean aesthetic, with double height glazing on the ground floor opening out onto the colonnade.
J2 Design was responsible for the interior design of the public areas taking inspiration from Liverpool’s industrial era and combining local raw materials with luxurious soft furnishings. The brief from the client was to create “a contemporary and industrial design language whilst maintaining a sophisticated atmosphere”.

Grosvenor, and owners The Ability Group, were directly involved in the design process, in some cases advising on artwork and the relevance of materials according to hotel and Hilton standards. Between them, they have successfully found a balance between creating a concept with a sense of place, and the stringent brand standards of an international operator.

”The key element within the design is the flow of the River Mersey on the floor,” says Alia Centofanti, Project Manager for J2 Design. “This continues through the main spaces in the bar and restaurant,” she adds, explaining that the wooden pathway is formed from one of the most durable woods in existence, Luna Larch endgrain by Element 7.

With a specialist metal finish by Based Upon, J2’s reception desk reflects the cast iron structure common to ships that docked in Liverpool when the port was in use, whilst the design behind the desk is a graphic representation of the Mersey in a handcrafted metal relief. The local references continue throughout in artwork, use of colour, and materials used. A glass floor, again laid to follow the river, separates the Exchange restaurant and Pima bar, whilst large glass panels depicting Liverpool scenes dissected into small shapes of colour and hand painted in a lacquer finish form the backdrop. Additional seating areas are dotted around the lobby with pieces by Ligne Roset, HB, and Moooi.

The Exchange restaurant acknowledges Custom House, which once occupied the site and was regarded as the epicentre of the docks. In keeping with the theme, signage for the restaurant was been created using typography and colours typical of an authentic Victorian Dock sign. The Pima bar pays homage to the city’s heritage as a cotton trading port (Pima is a type of high-quality cotton from America).

Interior design features include cotton-related artworks by Fusion Glass, carpet reminiscent of cotton fields by Brintons, and lighting that appears as cotton balls in the form of pendants by Bocci, and Caboche floor lamps by Foscarini. Fringing and circular banquettes add intimacy to an otherwise open-plan ground floor.

The Bocci pendants, designed to appear in clusters, continue up the feature staircase leading to the conference and banqueting facilities. At nightfall, they appear as dozens of suspended candle lights.
Other than the usual issues faced by a designer, Centofanti tells of the additional challenges: “The hotel required a multi level space design allocation which meant that each area had to flow into the next in a fluid, organised manner. This created a complex challenge in terms of finishes and furniture where each design idea had to connect through the whole hotel and each piece of furniture had to have replicated details.” She adds: “The Hilton brand standards required the design to meet very high quality testing methods; this challenged the selection and approval of finishes and fabrics relative to our design intent as the spaces and furniture had to be both beautiful and resilient.”

The 215 guestrooms, which include one presidential suite, six executive suites and five junior suites, are designed by Aedas, each with floor-to-ceiling windows to capitalise on the natural light and city views. Casegoods by PTT Design feature coloured glass inlays, and are complemented by matching upholstery from Skopos, Panaz, Harlequin Harris, Kvadrat and Sinclaire, lighting from Chelsom and Flos, and bathroom fittings from Villeroy & Boch, Grohe, and Hansgrohe.
As a contrast to the historical references throughout the hotel, the Presidential Suite is all about today. Surfaces are finished in high gloss lacquer whilst an oversized bathtub from Teuco is constructed from Duralight, an innovative material that can be shaped with no limits. Entertainment is provided via the Samsung TV built into the bed frame. Views out to the docks however, transport the guest back to the former industrial age that the hotel is so influenced by.

Hilton Liverpool
3 Thomas Steers Way,
Liverpool, L1 8LW, UK
Tel: +44 (0)151 708 4200
Web: www.hilton.co.uk

Rooms 215 guestrooms inc. 12 suites
Dining Exchange restaurant
Drinking Pima bar
Leisure Gym
Facilities Grace Suite ballroom

Planning architects:
Squire and Partners
www.squireandpartners.com

Architects:
Aedas
www.aedas.com

Interior Designer Public Areas
J2 Design
www.j2design.net

Interior Designer Guestrooms:
Aedas
www.aedas.com