PURO Poznań: interview with Alex Holloway

What does your design studio do?

We specialise in the hospitality and residential sectors, combining creative magic with fine tuned delivery. We try to avoid a ‘house style’ and instead approach the concept for each project from the ground-up, which we feel is reflected in the breadth of our projects to date. We have a base in both London and Hong Kong, and are currently working on projects globally in Tokyo, China, Hong Kong, New York, London and of course Poznan. In addition to Bermonds Locke, other key projects include a rooftop extension for The Hoxton in London, an experiential showroom for a tap company in Clerkenwell, a large private residence in Mayfair, London and our debut furniture piece, the T4 chair.

What project in your studio's career do you consider to be the most important?

It’s hard to choose a single project but apartment hotel Bermonds Locke first established our narrative-driven approach to hospitality design, borrowing from the rich visual language of cinema, theatre and art. The project showcased our obsession with material alchemy, taking the seemingly everyday and playing with distortion, reflection and light to transform them into unexpected finishes. It also helped to clarify our approach to sustainability, taking materials which were destined for landfilled and repurposing them into beautiful joinery pieces.

What is most important to you in designing a functional space such as a hotel?

We try to find a balance between concept, comfort and durability in each project. In comparison to private residential projects, hotels need a thorough understanding of how well materials and details last under constant use. Including small details which make guests feel like their experience has been considered and cared for is really important. For example considering where a guest can leave their phone or keys, and where all the bathroom amenities can be stored. Our approach also involves identifying key collaborators and fabricators early in the design process, allowing our designs to be both innovative and buildable.

What changes have you planned for PURO in Poznań?

We have been working on the refurbishment of both the public spaces on the ground floor and the guestrooms, introducing a new layer of natural materials and warm tones into the existing design. When guests first enter the hotel, they will be greeted at a new curved reception desk clad in glossy ceramic tiles. A private meeting room now separates the lounge and the restaurant, providing a new focal point for the hotel’s public spaces. We have developed the design of the meeting room closely with a local glass company who have produced bespoke textured glazing in an array of pastel colours. The guest rooms fixture a mix of rich textured fabrics, natural stone and a unique coloured gradient shower film.

In Poznan we'll be able to see and use one of your perhaps most famous projects - the armchair. Please tell us its story. What was your inspiration?

Our T4 modular chair is our first furniture piece, a collaboration with bespoke fabricator Uma Objects. The design borrows from the bright candy-coated optimism of the 1990s. The form of the chair nods to consumer products popular in the era such as lava lamps and inflatable chairs. To fabricate the chair, we worked with Polkima Moulded Composites, a leading producer for the automotive industry who typically fabricate the interior of London buses. The signature curve of the chair borrows from the language of the automotive industry, suggesting qualities of speed, movement and aerodynamism. We liked the idea that the chair can evolve with the life of the user, so designed a kit-of-parts which allows a single chair to be expanded to a longer sofa over time.