design et al are delighted to announce that Native Land have been shortlisted for Residential £5 Million Plus (Property by Value) Award in The International Design & Architecture Awards 2019.
A three-bedroom duplex in Mayfair, Penthouse 701 was designed by Eloisa Cuturi and Sam Chapman of London-based practice Hudson & Mercer. Mayfair’s claim to the most expensive spot on the Monopoly board is predicated not just on the area’s abundance of exclusive spots to eat, drink and sleep, but also its status as a centre for culture and creativity in the heart of London.
The penthouse at Burlington Gate – a 42-flat development designed by world-renowned architecture practice Rogers Stirk Harbour and Partners – therefore needed to cater to a uniquely sophisticated type of high-net worth client: one for whom luxury means the customised, considered and crafted, rather than the ostentatious and spectacular. Such a client would have a keen eye for art and design and a sensitivity to quality. They would be well-travelled and accustomed to encountering new environments, and yet expect to feel at home wherever they hang their hat.
Interior designers Eloisa Cuturi and Sam Chapman, founders of London-based practice Hudson & Mercer, were charged with transforming the two floors of this airy, light-filled apartment – a generous open-plan living space, three ensuite bedrooms and spacious terraces with spectacular views – into a home fit for such a discerning client, creating a restrained yet comfortable and characterful contemporary interior. Within these parameters, the designers were asked to nod to the surrounding heritage architecture and cultural amenities such as the Royal Academy of Art; the area’s history of craft, tailoring and fashion as embodied in the nearby Savile Row; and the new building’s aspirations to become a public-facing destination, with a 25,000 sq. ft. gallery space on the ground floor.
In keeping with the building’s architecture, which is a contemporary take on the elegant Georgian buildings of Mayfair, the interior of Penthouse 701 is characterised by a mix of the traditional, local and familiar with the new, outward-facing and modern. A palette of muted greens, browns and greys is distinctly British, but the design also takes inspiration from further afield – with warmer terracottas, peaches, oranges and reds, and darker wood creating a blend that is as multicultural as London itself.