Ace Hotel London

Universal Design Studio designed the exteriors and interiors of the first Ace Hotel outside America. UDS designed 258 guest rooms, an event space, Hoi Polloi restaurant, and a lounge and reception area comprised of retail units, a bar, café and art gallery.

The approach was to tune in to the authentic voice of Shoreditch, to engage local artists, craftspersons and builders to foster a sense of place at home with its surroundings. The team discovered that there used to be a Frank Matcham-designed theatre on the site: the Shoreditch Empire, which Charlie Chaplin once graced. The theatre was demolished in 1935 and replaced by a cinema, which was subsequently replaced by the original two Crowne Plaza buildings.

Shoreditch is London's most creative, engaged district. A hub for galleries, theater and design. Shoreditch's roots are firmly set in this historic hub where culture, arts and outsiders banned by forefathers could find a home and thrive. Archaeologists recently discovered the foundations of The Theatre in which Shakespeare’s first plays were performed here, too.

The brickmaking trade in the area dates back to medieval times. Textile and furniture manufacture also thrived here, centering around the Old Spitalfield's Market and the timber yards at the west bank of the River Lea. Today’s Shoreditch contains echoes of its industrial and artisanal past in the form of cottage industries, studios and thinktanks where makers and thinkers manifest handmade goods, generate ideas, innovate digital and new media, and design a future that's more inspiring, and inspired, than ever.

Brick Lane Market is unparalleled, and it's known worldwide as a mecca for street artists like Banksy, Eine, Kid Acne and Conor Harrington to name a few. Along Redchurch Street you can buy the best stuffed jalapeño of your life. You can find handmade leather goods on Calvert, and David Adjaye's Dirty House is a few blocks away on Chance Street. 

Both exterior and interior design focus on traditional craftsmanship, embedding the space within the historic context and material heritage of Shoreditch. Material choices are informed by East London’s longstanding role as a centre for the performing arts, as well as a historic home to skilled trades like shoemaking, furniture making, rope making, ship building and silk weaving.

The rooms have vintage furniture, original artwork. Some of them have Rega turntables and a selection of vinyl, and all have Revo radios with Ace-curated radio stations.

Tokyobike confirms the solid relationship between Ace Hotel and Neighbourhood. They have created custom bicycles for Ace Hotel at their workshop and studio in Shoreditch.