The Stratford combines world class design, hospitality and culture.

The Stratford combines world class design, hospitality and culture. The concept celebrates timeless glamour, future cityscapes and the notion of long-term residents of 1950s New York’s legendary Chelsea hotel.

Space Copenhagen has created the interior design concept for the building’s lobby, hotel guestrooms, mezzanine, the ground floor Stratford Brasserie, as well as 7th floor restaurant, Allegra. The public areas each have distinctive design characteristics but overall seek to interweave, allowing visitors to move seamlessly between the spaces.

The Stratford is a hotel located within the ambitious new East London skyscraper pioneered by Harry Handelsman, founder of Chiltern Firehouse and the restored St Pancras Hotel. The spectacular double-cantilevered 42-storey building is designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) and situated in the upcoming cultural hub of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, East London.

Occupying the first seven stories of the building with 145 guestrooms and suites, The Stratford combines world class design, hospitality and culture. The concept celebrates timeless glamour, future cityscapes and the notion of long-term residents of 1950s New York’s legendary Chelsea hotel.

Space Copenhagen has created the interior design concept for the building’s lobby, hotel guestrooms, mezzanine, the ground floor Stratford Brasserie, as well as 7th floor restaurant, Allegra. The public areas each have distinctive design characteristics but overall seek to interweave, allowing visitors to move seamlessly between the spaces. Gently textured plastered walls, natural oak in earthy tones, warm metals and natural stones framed by a polished and dark pigmented concrete floor, serve to softly contrast the strong modern structure of the tower itself.

Upon entering the building, the architectural experience on the ground floor pivots around a large nine-metre high fireplace that anchors the triple height lobby, providing a sophisticated and dramatic community space. Guests are then drawn towards the hand-crafted reception desk, which is crafted in oak with darkened brass detailing and offset by sculptural lighting.

Space Copenhagen’s Signe Bindslev Henriksen and Peter Bundgaard Rützou comment: “We are fascinated by the location and having the opportunity to be a part of creating a future identity for Stratford. We cannot wait to spend a whole day at the Stratford starting with drinks around the fireplace in the lobby, ascending the staircase into the mezzanine club for intimate conversation and a light snack and completing the evening by dining at Allegra.

Harry is incredibly inspiring and energetic, fuelled by vision and capable of mobilizing his desire to go there. From start to finish, Harry’s proportionate combination of good sense and curiosity has been as stimulating as it has been instrumental for the many conversations that are paramount when venturing into a concept like this.”

Allegra comprises four main spaces, each designed to flow seamlessly between one another—The Lounge & Bar Dining Counter, The Dining Room, The Bar Terrace, and The Restaurant Terrace—and able to cater for up to 162 covers. The communal atmosphere that defines The Stratford is reflected in the design and layout of Allegra.

Space Copenhagen looked to the space itself—its location within the structure, and its position relative to the surrounding area—to inform their design narrative. Guests are immediately greeted by natural stone flooring formed in a pattern arrangement which references historic courtyard configurations. The sense of openness is further enhanced by the window partitions, which add layers of softness through the application of handcrafted blinds: evocative of the minimal and natural feeling that characterises the restaurant.

Allegra’s interiors are established by natural stones, woods, fabrics, and a crisp, subdued colour palettes. These elements were selected by Space Copenhagen to enhance and contribute to the culinary experience developed by Patrick Powell. Bespoke seating arrangements and tables of varying sizes—made especially for Allegra—populate the space; whilst iconic pieces such as Space Copenhagen’s Loafer Chair by &Tradition particularly contribute to shaping its identity.

Allegra’s spaces are designed to facilitate a range of guests, from those having dinner to those simply stopping by for a glass of wine: celebrating exuberant hospitality and inventive, seasonal cooking against the backdrop of a modern, elegant interior.

Learn more about The Stratford.