The Arts Club — London, UK

When Charles Dickens and his friends launched The Arts Club in Hanover Square back in 1863, they were careful to include six bedrooms as convenient amenities for their country gentlemen members. It’s not entirely clear why, when the club moved to 40 Dover Street thirty years later, these rooms were not also transferred. No matter. The oversight has been rectified even if it’s taken over a century. David D’Almada of London-based architects Sagrada has carved out 16 new and spacious rooms and suites from offices on the building’s third, fourth and fifth floors. All can be booked by members of the club or their guests – some with views of Mayfair’s rooftops, while the penthouse looks out into the City. The interior décor takes its cue from the Art Deco era by way of Jacques Adnet, Gio Ponti, Piero Fornasetti and Hans Wegner – think embossed leather headboards, hand-tufted rugs, antique bronze decorative doors, calacatta oro marble and cast iron bath tubs. ‘We wanted to capture elements of the style of European glamour prevalent in the first half of the 20th-century,’ explains D’Alamada who was also responsible for another Wallpaper* favourite, The Norman in Tel Aviv. The club’s artwork, too, has been refreshed with the acquisition of over 40 pieces by the likes of Nobuyoshi Araki, Matt Lipps and Sam TayAlor-Johnson. It’s no Bleak House by any measure.
ADDRESS
40 Dover Street
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Daven Wu is the Singapore Editor at Wallpaper*. A former corporate lawyer, he has been covering Singapore and the neighbouring South-East Asian region since 1999, writing extensively about architecture, design, and travel for both the magazine and website. He is also the City Editor for the Phaidon Wallpaper* City Guide to Singapore.
-
An architect’s own home offers a refined and leafy retreat from its East London surroundings
Studioshaw has completed a courtyard house in amongst a cluster of traditional terraced houses, harnessing the sun and plenty of greenery to bolster privacy and warmth
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Finlandia Hall bistro blends culinary indulgence with reborn modernism
Finlandia Hall bistro opens in Helsinki, adding a foodie dimension to the Finnish modernist architecture marvel by Alvar Aalto
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Reimagining remembrance: Urn Studios introduces artistic urns to the UK
Bridging the gap between art and memory, Urn Studios offers contemporary, handcrafted funeral urns designed to be proudly displayed
By Ali Morris Published
-
‘A place for carnivores’ – Ibai is a London restaurant that celebrates Basque Country beef
A Clerkenwell restaurant where unhurried steak is the star of the show
By Lisa Wright Published
-
La Môme London finds its home at The Berkeley hotel
All the razzle-dazzle of Cannes and Monte Carlo is wrapped up in this one fabulous dining room and terrace in London
By Ben McCormack Published
-
The new dawn of the London sandwich shop
The appeal of a quick meal between two slices of bread has long held sway in the UK. We look back on the rise of the sandwich shop and explore the new wave of London venues that are making it a more stylised experience
By Toyo Odetunde Published
-
Must-visit cinemas with award-worthy design
There’s more magic to the movies at these design-led cinemas, from Busan Cinema Centre’s ‘flying’ roof to The Gem Cinema Jaipur’s art deco allure
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
London's coolest design-led coffee shops for your Fashion Week fix
Coffee shops are the heart of London’s neighbourhoods, discover those fusing speciality beans and stylish interiors for the perfect brew
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
Shakara is a stylish new addition to London's West African dining scene
Shakara, a new Marylebone bar and dining room, adds to the city's ever-more impressive high-end West African dining scene
By Ben McCormack Published
-
First a fishmonger then a restaurant, how Applebee’s became a Borough Market staple
In line with the London seafood restaurant’s 25th anniversary, Applebee’s is reopening with a new menu and a new look courtesy of design studio A-nrd
By Ben McCormack Published
-
Mayfair restaurant Silva is a dainty ode to the Mediterranean
Envisioned by Studio Wren, Silva is a dynamic, textural restaurant that reflects nature’s rhythms through its cuisine and design
By Sofia de la Cruz Published