A vibrant hub of design and creativity, the Shoreditch hotel is the striking new architectural addition to East London’s skyline.
Recently, if you’ve cast your eyes above street level in the bustling Shoreditch area you might find your gaze fixating on the striking new diamond-shaped fixture on the skyline. A steely shark-grey architectural feat, inspired by Tate Modern artist Bridget Riley’s mesmerising 1980s optical art, and inside, a 288-guestroom oasis slap bang in the midst of east London’s pulsating streets. Welcome to Montcalm East, Autograph Collection.
Inspired by the pioneering art studios that exploded in Shoreditch in the 1980s and 90s – led by creatives Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin and photographers such as Turner Prize-winning Gillian Wearing – the vibrant hub of design and creativity is a direct reflection of the artistic energy in the surrounding community, championed by the hotel’s boundary-pushing partnerships. And this is evident from the first step you take in the lobby, with optical illusions and visual surprises abound; don’t forget to stop for photos at the oh-so-Instagrammable light corridor.
Head upwards, and helmed by Shoreditch-based design studio Blacksheep, the contemporary rooms nod to the hotel’s connection with the photography world via sleek optical lighting, modern artwork, and most rooms offering sweeping floor-to-ceiling windows for panoramic city views. Next, spot the likes of Yoko Ono, John Lennon and Amy Winehouse in the array of iconic photography gracing the opulent walls of all-day bar and restaurant, Moor + Mead, which serves a classic menu with an elevated neighbourhood bistro feel.
Spot the next big talent in photography gracing Montcalm’s walls with the hotel partnering with art consultant Anne Trouillet Rogers of CULTURE A and the Department of Photography at Ravensbourne University London, for a photographer-in-residence initiative for university students and alumni. Set on cultivating an atmosphere of creativity, the hotel has also paired up with pop art stalwarts Proud Galleries, who are set to present a series of portraits throughout the hotel, and Polaroid who will provide old-school point-and-shoot cameras at the hotel’s own Photo Lab where guests can take and develop their own shots. Design studio MagCulture will also serve a range of vintage archival fashion, art and photography magazines, with Hoxton Mini Press also providing a collection of books for the hotel library. And coming up, look out for the hotel’s carefully curated culture-led series of creative partnerships, with an inspiring programme of exhibitions and events including photography talks and workshops.
And after a long tiring day of immersing yourself in culture and design, the real pièce de résistance? The Versace-style elongated swimming pool, bubbling jacuzzi and extensive spa facilities on the basement floor. BRB, here you can find us shrivelling to a prune, content in its crystal waters.
As the world opens up around us, but the risk of heading abroad still looms, Montcalm East poses the perfect opportunity to escape, explore and reset flying solo, or with a mate or partner.