Project The Londoner When the scaffolding comes down on Edwardian Hotels' £300m (US$387m, €348m), Woods Bagot-designed Londoner hotel, an artwork façade will be revealed.
The boutique hotel and cinema complex will cover 32,000sq m (345,000sq ft) in central London, span 15 storeys and have a six-storey, 30m (98ft)-deep basement.
But Helen Taylor, project lead at architects Woods Bagot, told CLAD that it was creating its faience design – using glazed terracotta as a decorative skin – that proved to be a unique and interesting challenge.
"Planning requirements meant that The Londoner must incorporate some public art into the development – and the concept for the façade was that it would be the artwork," she said."Woods Bagot worked with a locally based painter and sculptor to realise the idea of lining the exterior window reveals, tower and upper setbacks with alternating patterns of three-dimensional glazed faience tiles."
"The mass of the building is angled down at the south and rises to the north, which is pronounced by a tower wrapped in a faceted, ultramarine blue faience soffit. This unique façade will display 30 different mosaic patterns comprised of 15,000 terracotta tiles designed in collaboration with artist Ian Monroe.
"To precisely fit each handmade tile together, the design team utilized advanced BIM technology, giving the finished design a contemporary feel to a traditional material widely used in the city."
The biggest and most publicised challenge – as a solution to the height restrictions of the local area – has been the construction of the basement.
"The internal makeup is supported by six, 55-ton (50-tonne) steel trusses installed to transfer the weight of the above-ground structure over the area of the basement. It also provides the space for a 16m (52ft) by 6.5m (21ft) underground ballroom, as well as the cinema and an atrium without any columns."
The complex will house a variety of restaurants and bars, including a contemporary Japanese lounge bar with a rooftop terrace and fire pit.
There will also be a spa, swimming pool, gym, hair and nail salon and a barbershop.
Project The Londoner When the scaffolding comes down on Edwardian Hotels' £300m (US$387m, €348m), Woods Bagot-designed Londoner hotel, an artwork façade will be revealed.
The boutique hotel and cinema complex will cover 32,000sq m (345,000sq ft) in central London, span 15 storeys and have a six-storey, 30m (98ft)-deep basement.
But Helen Taylor, project lead at architects Woods Bagot, told CLAD that it was creating its faience design – using glazed terracotta as a decorative skin – that proved to be a unique and interesting challenge.
"Planning requirements meant that The Londoner must incorporate some public art into the development – and the concept for the façade was that it would be the artwork," she said."Woods Bagot worked with a locally based painter and sculptor to realise the idea of lining the exterior window reveals, tower and upper setbacks with alternating patterns of three-dimensional glazed faience tiles."
"The mass of the building is angled down at the south and rises to the north, which is pronounced by a tower wrapped in a faceted, ultramarine blue faience soffit. This unique façade will display 30 different mosaic patterns comprised of 15,000 terracotta tiles designed in collaboration with artist Ian Monroe.
"To precisely fit each handmade tile together, the design team utilized advanced BIM technology, giving the finished design a contemporary feel to a traditional material widely used in the city."
The biggest and most publicised challenge – as a solution to the height restrictions of the local area – has been the construction of the basement.
"The internal makeup is supported by six, 55-ton (50-tonne) steel trusses installed to transfer the weight of the above-ground structure over the area of the basement. It also provides the space for a 16m (52ft) by 6.5m (21ft) underground ballroom, as well as the cinema and an atrium without any columns."
The complex will house a variety of restaurants and bars, including a contemporary Japanese lounge bar with a rooftop terrace and fire pit.
There will also be a spa, swimming pool, gym, hair and nail salon and a barbershop.
The UK spa review and discovery platform for consumers, the Good Spa Guide, has announced
it will host the Good Spa Guide Awards 2026 during an event on 16 November at Sopwell House
Hotel in St Albans, UK.
Eighty-four per cent of consumers now say wellness is a top priority in their lives, with this
percentage increasing year on year, according to a preview presentation of McKinsey’s Future of
Wellness 2026 research report.
Mass protests have been taking place since Monday 1 June in Albania over the development of
a luxury resort by Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner.
Global Wellness Day (GWD) marked its 15th anniversary on Saturday 13 June 2026, with the
theme: #JoyMagenta – a celebration of the healing qualities of simple gestures and activities
that spark joy.
Global luxury hospitality brand, Six Senses, has partnered with longevity healthcare provider,
HUM2N, to launch a clinic at Six Senses London, at The Whiteley.
As part of its first hotel partnership, Mayrlife – the medical health resort company known for its
site in Altaussee, Austria – has launched a day clinic at the Rosewood Vienna.
Premium London health club, KX Chelsea, will imminently unveil its most significant
redevelopment since its launch in 2002 to create an integrated wellness model combining
training, recovery and relaxation.
Rosewood Le Guanahani St Barth, on the northeast coast of Saint Barthélemy in the French
West Indies, is offering a programme of ocean-inspired yoga classes between 8-14 June to
celebrate Global Wellness Day (GWD).
Hotel de France, located on the British Isle of Jersey, has created a wellness retreat package
that includes a hot yoga session that will take place in Jersey Zoo’s butterfly sanctuary.
The Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi, in Malaysia, has revealed a schedule for Global Wellness Day
(GWD) that includes guided rainforest walks, mindful movement and guided coastal meditation
experiences.
