This proposal for a Toni & Guy hair salon updates the hair salon’s original interior brand identity, which had become marooned in a monochrome and brushed steel time warp.

Based on the unifying concept of a luxe spa, the aim was to revitalise both the space and the brand by finessing a few key moves around the notion of warm minimalism, rationalising the ceiling landscape and introducing supergraphics.

Simple and streamlined, the scheme it demonstrates the potential of well-chosen materials and the seamless integration of technology.

[By Catherine Slessor*]

London is the most diverse metropolis in the world. And within its youthful social strata of different cultures and faiths, there is a growing demand for wedding venues. Initially commissioned by a hotel group to design a standard wedding venue, Paul McAneary Architects subsequently developed the concept of a neutral, flexible, non-denominational space that could be consecrated and used by different faiths.

Neither adorned with specific religious symbolism, nor descended from existing typologies, this new building type required a sensitive understanding of theological precedent. Lucid geometry and elegant materials conjure an atmosphere of solemnity and tranquility that transcends time, faith and place.

The sequence of spaces is carefully contrived to create an evocative setting for the rituals of matrimony. The wedding party enters through two separate, symmetrical doors into a circular amphitheatre, where the couple take centre stage. Connoting the concept of marriage as a public statement, the archetypal form of the amphitheatre also expresses the sanctity of the couple’s relationship. Guests are seated opposite one another, emphasising the wider union of families and communities. Following the ceremony, guests depart through a single door, physically and symbolically united as a group.

Materials, light and water choreograph a sense of intimacy and sanctity. An oculous projects a ray of light upon the central stage and a shallow reflecting pool surrounds the venue, discreetly separating it from the wider world. Light ripples off the water to create a sensuous play of reflections on the textured stone facade, while floating candles and flowers add further voluptuous touches. [By Catherine Slessor*]

Contract Value Diameter dependant
Location Non-site specific
Client Private
Date 2014 – 2016
Area Dependent on clients requirements
Design Team Paul McAneary Architects
Design Service From design concept to detailed design, interior design, structural design, furniture design, 3D visualisation

Combining the luxury of boutique hotels with the freewheeling spirit of international backpacking, this new concept for the first Backpacker Hotel was designed to colonise an existing building in Hoxton in London’s dynamic East End. The project reconfigures and transforms a redundant nightclub into a unique ‘hybrid accommodation’ that is both affordable yet with the distinctive design ethos of a boutique hotel.

The client asked that the existing buildings be extended and remodelled with a new public bar, shop and other facilities to accommodate a new generation of backpackers. Paul McAneary Architects inventive proposal proposal adds a double height space and unifies the overall composition with a new screen of expanded Corten mesh that veils and wraps the main street facade. The fine metal mesh allows light to flow into the depths of the building while simultaneously ensuring privacy for the hotel’s clientele. Corten’s pre-rusted, proto-industrial quality aptly reflects the studied grunginess of its surroundings and dramatically emphasises the hotel’s presence as a new city landmark.

The original Victorian facade is retained and enhanced by the presence of the new Corten screen. During the day, the fine mesh creates beautiful changing reflections while at night, the building becomes a softly glowing lantern, blending with London’s orange street lights. The impact is striking; urban and sophisticated at the same time, epitomising the architectural and programmatic impetus of the project. [By Catherine Slessor*]

Contract Value Undisclosed
Location Hoxton, London
Client Private
Date 2012 – Ongoing
Area 345m²
Design Team Paul McAneary Architects
Design Service From design concept to detailed design, interior design, lighting design, 3D visualisation
Press 2013 BD New Architects 2013 2012 ‘Hackney hotel breaks mould’, BD Magazine, 5 April 2012

Invented in the late 19th century, Stické Tennis is an indoor racquet sport combining aspects of real tennis, racquets and lawn tennis. It derives from the Ancient Greek word ‘sphairistkè’, meaning ‘the art of playing ball’. Stické is played with standard lawn tennis racquets and low pressure balls in an enclosed court. The court is similar to a real tennis court in shape, but is smaller and differs in construction.

Play takes place using the basics of lawn tennis and the same scoring system, with the addition of side and back walls. As in real tennis, there is a penthouse incorporated as a playing surface and on which the service must land in order to commence each point.

Paul Mcaneary Architects have been commissioned to design the first new stické tennis court to be constructed in Britain in over a century. This involved exhaustively surveying an existing historic building and using this as a basis for developing a contemporary version with a glazed club room overlooking the court. The form of the building is intrinsic to the game, architecture becoming part of sport. [By Catherine Slessor*]

Contract Value Undisclosed
Location Wiltshire, England
Client Undisclosed
Date Ongoing
Area 347.85m²
Design Team Paul McAneary Architects
Design Service From design concept to detailed design, lighting design, glazing design, structural design, furniture design, 3D visualisation

Click to view Stické Tennis animation

Described by Max Fraser in the London Design Guide as a ‘unique and dynamic design store’, Mint has become a fixture in the capital’s design scene. Founded in 1998, it is known for the discerning curatorial and commercial eye of its owner, Lisa Kanafani, who presents exclusive works by international designers and emerging talents, along with an eclectic mixture of furniture and objects.

For the remodelled store in London’s fashionable Brompton Cross, Paul McAneary Architects carved out the existing space and inserted structural glass floors to channel natural light down into a new basement, orchestrating a sense of drama and visual connection. A beautifully detailed staircase with rough sawn oak treads, flush glass balustrade and metal handrail is a design object in itself, elevating the act of circulation into a considered and pleasurable experience.

Synthesising modern and traditional references, the reworked timber facade experiments with the proportions of the existing Neoclassical building. And, in an ironic touch, the ground floor was originally occupied by a Bulthaup kitchen showroom designed by John Pawson, for whom Paul McAneary worked prior to establishing his own studio. The commission involved the removal of Pawson’s interior, a case of the talented pupil superseding his master. [By Catherine Slessor*]

Contract Value £200k
Location Knightsbridge, London
Client Private
Date From – 2009
Area 325m2
Design Team Paul McAneary Architects
Design Service From design concept to detailed design through to end of construction, interior design, lighting design, glazing design
Main Contractor Debowski
Supplier Direct Stone, Yello Submarine, Via Bizzuno
Press 2011 ‘Fresh as mint’, Interior Public Space, August 2011 RIBA London Directory Book 2011 2010 Max Fraser, ‘London Design Guide’, 2010 Edition

Dedicated to exhibiting and selling contemporary art, the Kostyál Gallery is located in the heart of Mayfair, on historic Savile Row. The client, a financial entrepreneur turned art dealer, commissioned Paul McAneary Architects to refurbish the Grade II listed Georgian building, involving the removal of non-original lobby, replacement of lighting and heating, together with new joinery elements.

Since the listed status required that any works should preserve the fabric of the building, the design strategy protects and enhances the most architecturally significant elements by using existing materials and restoring key features. A versatile bespoke lighting system and art library optimises day to day functionality while cultivating a spirit of refinement that seamlessly synthesises old and new. [By Catherine Slessor*]

Contract Value Undisclosed
Location Saville Row Westminister, London
Client Carl Kostyál
Date 2011
Area 145m²
Design Team Paul McAneary Architects
Design Service From design concept to detailed design through to end of construction, interior design, lighting design, furniture design, survey

Occupying a Grade I listed building on the Mall originally designed by John Nash, the ICA is a key player in London’s arts and cultural milieu. This project explores the nature of temporary structures and how they can be deftly integrated into historic fabric without compromising it.

The brief was to devise a trio of demountable, self-supporting glazed structures on the Neoclassical frontage. Paul McAneary Architects response was to design a series of wafer-thin sheets of glass that sit precisely within the existing stone balconies.

Detailing was especially challenging as the original construction was sacrosanct and could not be used to anchor the new interventions. The outcome is refined yet robust, a synthesis of old and new that subtly animates Nash’s famous ‘wedding cake’ facade. [By Catherine Slessor*]

Contract Value Private
Location Westminister, London
Client Institute of Contemporary Arts
Date 2007
Area 145m2
Design Team Paul McAneary Architects
Design Service From design concept, glazing design,3D visualisation