Image Credit : Gareth Gardner
Project Overview
‘The Garden’ is a destination all-day food and beverage space for hotel guests and local Edinburgh residents, located within former courtyard of the Principal Edinburgh Charlotte Square. Taking inspiration from the great hothouses and orangeries of historic country estates, the scheme is eclectic, with varied furnishings and accessories to give the impression of an ensemble of pieces acquired over a period of many years.
Filled with plants, trees, hanging baskets and vines, the new space is a biophilic delight, with the new glass roof providing natural lighting and open views of the sky, resulting in the creation of a ‘magical oasis’ right in the heart of the hotel.
Project Commissioner
Project Creator
Team
Principal Hotel Company (Client)
Goddard Littlefair (Interior Designer)
3DReid (Architect)
Project Brief
'The Garden’ was created as part of the transformation of The Principal Edinburgh Charlotte Square hotel, with the brief to create a new destination all-day dining venue within the hotel for both guests and local Edinburgh residents. Goddard Littlefair were tasked with developing a biophilic green heart to the overall hotel scheme, transforming a former courtyard into a comfortable all-year dining space.
For the operator, the transformation of the courtyard space was also a crucial element of the overall hotel refurbishment, linking the listed and newer elements of the building, and creating a central hub right in the centre of the hotel.
Project Innovation/Need
A previously underused space, the former courtyard now connects the bedrooms, meeting rooms, bar and function areas via a single story glazed perimeter corridor. The existing structure of the corridor acted as the foundation for the new roof, whilst helping to sub-divide the space and retain the circulation to the perimeter. By creating a clear circulation area around The Garden, hotel guests, conference delegates and non-residents can move easily and comfortably between the reception, rooms and function spaces without disturbing diners.
A strong visual axis was created for the entrance, so that The Garden is immediately visible on entering the hotel. Additional focus points were also created along the circulation route to provide tempting viewpoints into the space and attract passing guests. The cocktail bar is efficiently located to the side of the pre-function rooms in order to serve guests in both areas.
Within the central area of The Garden, the introduction of timber-clad columns and surrounding bulkhead both encloses and compartmentalises the space, providing a number of intimate nooks and cosy corners for guests to dine as well as relax with a drink. Although there is an extremely wide range of furniture styles within the space, every chair and table has been carefully calibrated to ensure comfort for guests, wherever they choose to sit.
Design Challenge
A key challenge was incorporating the former courtyard into the hotel’s interior, whilst maintaining the light and sense of an outdoor space. The area has now been reclaimed for all-weather usage with the addition of a new glass roof. To ensure comfort for guests, electronically operated Pinoleum blinds ensure the light is not overwhelming on bright summer days and soften the fenestration.
Creative techniques were used to add elements such as planting and lighting into the desired positions within the space, including ladders laid across the roof transoms to provide an anchor for wicker baskets, lampshades and an antique chandelier.
Sustainability
A large element of the design scheme was the resourceful use of upcyling to reduce the need for newly manufactured materials. Throughout The Garden, reclaimed glazed doors, fretwork metal screens and metal gates sourced from architectural salvage yards are used to compartmentalise the space and provide guests with a sense of privacy and intimacy. A number of vintage and restored items were also used, adding to the pre-established feel of the space, whilst also reducing the environmental impact of the project.
‘We cast the net wide when it came to searching for the right accessories to dress the space with and add personality’, commented Richard McCready-Hughes, Goddard Littlefair Creative Director. ‘Extensive trips to antiques markets and dealer fairs provided one-off planters, jardinières, benches, cabinets and garden tools, all of which add to the fashionably eclectic feel of the space.’
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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