The W Hotel Barcelona—a fashionable resort situated on the city’s shoreline—recently unveiled new suites, the first time the hotel’s luxury penthouses have been overhauled since it opened in 2009. Credit can be given to Ian Bayliss, Stephen Crawley, and Lucy Southall, partners at London-based firm Bowler James Brindley, who spearheaded the refresh. Crawley says the concept of the suites has dramatically changed from a sort of pedestrian Mediterranean monochromatic minimalism to rich, multilayered spaces tailored to the sophisticated global jetsetters the W brand attracts. Gaudí—Barcelona’s most famous son—is referenced in the colorful trencadís (broken mosaic) covered bar and foosball table. The eccentric Catalan genius Dalí, who loved to entertain and had a penchant for decadence, was inspiration for a palette of bronze, ink blue, and burnt orange as well as a repeating circular motif, used for a revolving bed, mirrors, a plush conversation pit, and ceiling element that reflects the changing facets of the moon and sun—both in constant eyesight thanks to the hotel’s famous wraparound views and private terraces.
Letting the project be led by a sense of place, local culture, and history is characteristic of Bowler James Brindley’s emerging portfolio. After working together at a prominent London firm, the trio decided it was time “to branch out on our own,” explains Bayliss, and joined forces in 2014 in the hopes of creating a fresh paradigm. Working collaboratively is the most important tenet of the firm, with each partner offering different strengths to the creative process: Crawley drives the architecture, Bayliss lays the groundwork for a project, and Southall brings it all to life. “We don’t have a house style,” Southall adds. “We respond to each project’s independent needs. We are asked to look at varied architectural styles in different locations, so the end product is always completely different.”
The designers imbue each project with their inherent Britishness, a term that implies a love of eccentricity and inclusion, with a healthy dash of modesty. Besides the suites for the W in Barcelona (and more projects for the brand in Belgrade, Serbia, and Budapest in the pipeline), they have mostly worked in their hometown, where luxury residential developers have been convinced by their eclectic vision. Jimi Hendrix-meets-Twiggy is how they describe the interior of a duplex penthouse atop lifestyle destination the Nova Building, which features blue velvet upholstery, rosewood paneled walls, a lavish marble bathroom, and a dominant, highly stylized take on 1960s revivalism. For One Crown Place on Liverpool Street, an in-the-works massive mixed-use development financed by the Korean giant Alloy, set within a row of six townhouses from the 1800s and two new residential towers by KPF, the studio is handling the 246 residences as well as the 41-room hotel, complete with a restaurant, bar, and members’ club. Expect a warm Georgian ambiance throughout, especially in the guestrooms, which will be dressed in Asian rugs, four-poster beds, botanical wallpapers, and timber floors, all in keeping with the building’s architectural heritage.
However researched and singular their style, carving out a market for a young design studio, particularly in London, is not easy. “We like to think we are unusual amongst our peers in our creative approach,” says Crawley. “Rather than all working on different projects independently, we all work together. We truly believe three heads are better than one.”
