The Qbic London City Hotel represents a step change in the world of hospitality. Each of the 171 guest rooms are dominated by a pod-like structure, the Cubi, which partially encloses the bed and also integrates a stylish bathroom component. The genius idea of the Cubi is that it can be 'inserted' into former office buildings, giving them and their neighbourhoods a new lease of life. Following the launch of the first property at Schipol airport five years ago, this version is smaller, with each Cubi featuring integrated TVs and changeable mood lighting. Tim Mutton of Clerkenwell-based agency Blacksheep is the mastermind behind the handcrafted interiors, featuring a flexible continuum of dining, living and working areas furnished with flamboyant colour contrasts and a clash of patterns. An open fireplace is surrounded by an assortment of refurbished Scandinavian furnishings, while lamps and seating are fashioned from a re-purposed garden hose by non-conformist Rotterdam designer Sander Bokkinga. The hotel also offers rent-free space in its basement to creative start-ups and there is a well-lit staircase for use as an artistic exhibition space. Such unconventionality tallies with the fundamentally different concept behind Qbic.
ADDRESS
42 Adler Street
London
-
Our Tech Editor's selection of new and upgraded audio players covers the full spectrum of formatsWhether it’s vinyl, cassette, CD or mp3, or even sound sources you’ve captured yourself, you’ll find a suitable device in this round-up of pocketable and portable audio players
-
This Swedish summer house is a family's serene retreat by the trees and the Baltic seaHorsö, a Swedish summer house by Atelier Alba is a playfully elegant retreat by the Kalmarsund Sea and a natural reserve
-
A new exhibition retraces 50 years of Pierre Paulin’s history around the table‘Les Tables de Pierre Paulin’ shows a lesser-known side of the designer’s creative world, accompanied by a new book tracing his wife’s hospitality around his iconic table designs. ‘A creator is never alone in his creation…’
-
London's Italian restaurants to wine and dine atFrom four-course blow-outs to the perfect pizza , food critic Ben McCormack recommends London's best Italian restaurants to have on your radar
-
Out of office: from Loewe loafers to volcanic views, the Wallpaper* editors' picks of the weekWhat the Wallpaper* team have been eating, seeing, wearing and crucially, enjoying, this week
-
Explore Cornwall's cosiest coffee shopsCornwall is known for its natural beauty and stunning landscape, here is our pick of coffee shops to enjoy the views and refuel
-
Out of office: What the Wallpaper* editors have been doing this weekTeam Wallpaper* are hard to pin down. Here's what our editors have been up to this week that might inspire your own downtime, from films to food, architours to musical interludes
-
First look at Soma 2.0: a new nighttime highlight in east LondonFresh from its Soho roots, this newly opened London bar is set to redefine Canary Wharf’s nightlife – not least with its Indian-flavour-twist cocktails, as Neil Ridley discovers
-
This new London restaurant bursts with Mexican flair and flavourFonda is London’s new Mexican restaurant, courtesy of chef Santiago Lastra, also behind Michelin-starred Kol. As Mary Cleary discovers, it’s serving up colour and creativity
-
KOYN Thai brings high-end flair to London's West EndFrom Samyukta Nair and Fabled Studio comes a new restaurant with food drawn from the length and breadth of Thailand
-
Where to eat sushi in LondonFrom high-end hotels to supermarket pop-ups, food critic Ben McCormack recommends London's best sushi spots
