Keavan’s Port

Keavan’s Port
Camden Street, Dublin

Located in central Dublin, the proposed hotel, bar and restaurant is forged from a collection of existing and new buildings. A terrace of protected Georgian houses, forms the primary front elevation, whilst two new hotel blocks flank a retained chapel building to the rear. The development is linked together by a triple height glass atrium, creating an internal central ‘plaza’ space.

Two courtyard gardens occupy the space between the new and historic buildings, the larger of which takes on the design strategy of a series of ‘back yards’ to the Georgian terrace. The site comprises 89 guest bedroom together with approximately 10,000sqft of bar/ restaurant area spread across the complex.

The Old Borough

The Old Borough
Dublin

Located in the ancient town of Swords, just north of Dublin city centre, The Old Borough is one of its best known buildings. When the client saw potential for a character pub in this prime example of Georgian architecture designed by noted Irish architect Francis Johnston, they appointed kdpa to design this sensitive conversion.

A school for nearly two hundred years it was this history that gave the building its local significance and it was this history that kdpa focused on to underpin its design approach.

Working to strict planning guidelines including the re-use of existing openings and specification of lime plaster finish, kdpa were able to organise the building so that the most significant space, the ground floor was almost entirely devoted to customer area. The interior sought to retain the essence of the original building with retained features, historical detailing and vintage inspired fittings whilst adding subtle contemporary nuances that brought the pub into the 21st century.

Photography: © Pippa Hudson Photography

The Crown Hotel

The Crown Hotel
Worcester

Located in the centre of Worcester, kdpa were asked by our client to develop a Grade II listed building into an 18 Bedroom Hotel.

The design intention for the interior space of the hotel was to reflect the building’s historical relationship with Edward Elgar who played and rehearsed here in the late 1800s and to use unifying visual elements to create a sense of playfulness. The repetitive use of blue and white as well as reappearing music symbols as patterns in fabrics, wall coverings and floor inserts has been used as a way-finding device and a means of carrying the design concept into all areas of this hotel.

The bedrooms greatly acknowledge Elgar as the focus for the key design elements. As one of the world’s most famous musicians, this is reflected in a number of areas, from the decoupage violin artwork, the musical score on the carpet coming from the piece Nimrod from Elgar’s Enigma Variation and the bedside table lamps with musical sheets from various Elgar compositions inside.

In the communal areas, the corridor carpet has yet more musical emblem references and the hotel reception lighting and pendants on the ground floor stairwells have been designed to look like the notes on a score sheet.

The colour scheme for the hotel was inspired by the internal staircase on the third floor which was built in the 17th Century. The blue which prevails throughout the design, is reflective of Delft Ware – Dutch porcelain that was very popular in 17th century in England. Worcester itself is also hugely famous for producing its own pottery.

The exterior of the building originates from the 19th Century, during the Industrial Revolution, hence the reference to this in the use of metal internally, in some of the bedroom furniture and light fittings.

The signage was of key importance. It is decorative and had close links to calligraphy, which is considered “the art of giving form to signs in an expressive, harmonious, and skillful manner, just like in music.

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Photography: © Mark Wilson

Glasgow

Glasgow
Scotland

Glasgow, one of Europe’s most vibrant and dynamic cities, famed for its Victorian and Art Nouveau architecture is the location for an exciting new hotel and bar currently being developed by KDPA.

Occupying a prime location adjacent Glasgow central station this ambitious development will involve the refurbishment of a magnificent, listed Victorian four storey building and the construction of a new adjoining building on an adjacent infill plot. The new development of a strikingly modern design is clad in local stone with proportions that echo the rhythms of the grand first floor ‘Piano Nobile’ of its Victorian neighbour.

The total development will provide a hundred bedrooms, two new bars and a destination rooftop terrace with incredible views over Glasgow city and the Clyde River.

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