Montcalm East

SHOREDITCH

Blacksheep channels the East End’s artistic heritage through a contemporary lens to design part hotel, part creative hub for Autograph Collection.

Words: Ben Thomas Photography: © Matthew Shaw (unless otherwise stated) East London embarked on a creative renaissance during the 1980s and 90s, when a generation of artists – including the likes of Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin and Turner Prize-winning photographer Gillian Wearing – reclaimed the area’s abandoned warehouses and repurposed them as studios for both business and pleasure. Since then, a bohemian spirit has defined this patch of the city, which has been home to boundary-pushing hotels like The Hoxton, Ace and CitizenM.

Now, a new haunt has burst onto the scene. The reincarnation of M by Montcalm, Montcalm East – part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection – draws the eye before guests even walk through its doors. The diamond-shaped building on City Road, completed by Squire & Partners in 2015, pays tribute to Op artist Bridget Riley and features a shark-grey façade that shimmers as the light strikes.

Optical illusions and visual surprises abound inside too, where Shoreditch-based design studio Blacksheep has tapped into the rich photographic legacy of the district to devise a scheme that captures the perspectives to have shaped it over the years. From the lobby with its Instagrammable archway and lens-inspired rugs to a mezzanine awash with RGB colours, the composition is clear. There’s also a darkroominspired VIP booth – billed as the Photo Lab – where guests can sip limited-edition cocktails, get their hands on point-and-shoot cameras, and turn smartphone shots into Polaroid snaps using special printers.

“Our mantra when designing the space was look up, look down, look around,” says Toni Black, Director of Interior Design at Blacksheep. “We took inspiration from the building itself and combined it with research into Shoreditch to create a story all about perspective.”

Part of the process also involved examining the guest journey through the hotel, with key changes being the repositioning of the entrance to enhance the flow and reconfiguration of the restaurant and bar to become anchor points. The real challenge for Blacksheep however was

© Nicholas Worley

Taking its name from Moorfields Eye Hospital and the area’s historic links with mead breweries, Moor & Mead blends earthy hues, mossgreen chairs and industrial accents

connecting the lobby with the ground-floor dining, which were previously on two different heights. The firm’s solution was to devise “a moment of exploration” in the form of an archway that has become a piece of art itself.

“Our plan was to work in harmony with the building’s angular nature,” Black continues. “It was essential that each space had its own identity yet spoke the same language, using visual cues of colour, materiality and form to move guests along the journey.”

Complementing the visual narrative are artworks curated by Culture A, which showcase an array of London’s talent. Textured, collagestyle prints hang throughout the public spaces and guestrooms, tipping their hat to the peeling posters that decorate Shoreditch’s graffitied walls, while other highlights include a streetart-inspired textile by print artist Lisa King; a large-scale, handpainted mural by Hackney resident Carlos Penalver; and collaborations with Ravensbourne University and Proud Galleries – the latter has provided rare prints of David Bowie, The Beatles and Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones.

The collection is made up of permanent pieces as well as rotating exhibitions in the ground-floor reading room – stocked with books from Hoxton Mini Press and a bunch of trendy city-zines – while the restaurant and bar have been decorated with black-and-white street photography of the capital taken by rising stars such as Amelia Shelbourne, Sabela Peinado, Brunel Johnson and Nico Froehlich. Guests can read up on the works using nifty QR codes, which cameo as labels and take them on a thought-provoking art tour.

“Using bespoke artwork was always inevitable for the project, with the concept largely based on photography and how it can be used as a medium for personal expression,” explains Black. “As such, Montcalm East acts as a platform for London-based artists to display their work – the design itself is inherently curated to form a backdrop for these pieces.”

In keeping with the theme, the hotel’s

© Tim Evan Cook

© Nicholas Worley

restaurant and bar, Moor & Mead, takes cues from neighbouring Moorfields Eye Hospital, as well as the area’s historic links with mead breweries. Created by Barworks, the team behind popular all-in-one venue Mare Street Market in Hackney, the refined mezzanine space features an informal medley of earthy hues, armchairs from Mobel Copenhagen’s Font collection and industrial accents, while copper fittings, globelike lights and oblique-cut glassware mimic the angular architecture.

On the menu at the friendly neighbourhood joint – helmed by Head Chef Tom Riehe – are best-of-British classics with a modern twist, which change with the seasons and combine locally sourced ingredients, as well as a cocktail list that riffs wittily on photography for those looking to enjoy a tipple during golden hour.

Somewhere between a soft and full revamp meanwhile are the 288 guestrooms, split into eight categories but all bathed in natural light thanks to the building’s diagonal floor-to-ceiling windows. Here, Blacksheep has added bespoke, camerainspired furnishings such as floor lamps that recall vintage flashes, while walls have been decorated with artworks nodding to Shoreditch’s street posters. Minibars are on brand too, stocked with drinks and treats from the East End in keeping with the local ethos, and Nespresso machines are equipped with pods from Flying Horse Coffee, who roast their beans in E8.

“We looked to juxtapose old and new, raw and refined to create a space that feels modern yet comfortable,” Black concludes. “From a monochrome base that harks back to black-and-white imagery, to RGB tones of red, green and blue that add another layer of finish, and high gloss tabletops and reflective materials that take inspiration from the glossy paper used for developing pictures, there’s subtle nods to photography at every turn.”

Part hotel, part creative hub, Montcalm East channels the East End’s artistic heritage through a contemporary lens, capturing the rich creative history of Shoreditch with aplomb. And there’s more to come. Soon to launch is a basement spa featuring a swimming pool, steam room, Jacuzzi and sauna, where guests can unwind after a busy day snapping the city. EXPRESS CHECK-OUT Owner: The Montcalm Group Operator: Montcalm Hotels Architecture: Squire & Partners Interior Design, Graphic Design and Branding: Blacksheep F&B Consultant: Barworks Art Consultant: Culture A Main Contractor: SGP Contracts www.montcalmeast.com