Town Hall Hotel in Bethnal Green collaborates with Jan Hendzel Studio to reimagine the design of two suites
Located in the energetic inner-city hub of Bethnal Green, Town Hall Hotel has partnered with the London-based furniture designers/makers Jan Hendzel Studio to transform two of the property’s suites to create a gallery-come-living space aiming to stimulate creative interaction. The newly designed suites will combine unexpected spatial design, functional pieces, sculptural elements and their signature textural finish, transforming the spaces into a tactile, gallery-like experience.
Previously the Bethnal Green Town Hall, the Grade ll listed building was reborn as the Town Hall Hotel in 2010. Design-led with many artistic touches, it is a feast for the eyes throughout. In keeping with the hotel’s core ethos, it has historically worked with local brands and supported the community through various partnerships and events. This collaboration with Jan Hendzel Studio is not only an extension of this, but arguably one of the hotel’s largest projects to date. It will also act as the first of many future collaborations with other likeminded, neighbourhood brands to build a community of creatives around the hotel and eventually house an eclectic range of suites, each telling their own unique story.
Where a traditional hotel room might encourage total introspection that takes the visitor away from their surroundings, these suites invite touch and stimulate creative interaction with the pieces. Texture and sculptural finesse are two striking signature characteristics of Jan Hendzel Studio’s furniture designs. So in these suites you’ll find smooth curved edges on coffee tables, ageing cracks in green wooden sculptures, hand-carved scallops on mounted mirrors. It’s in these details where the hand of the maker is most evident. As a studio that has historically worked with British timber and a hotel that has always sourced locally and sustainably, it was important to incorporate these into the design - whether in the more sculptural furniture pieces or the more subtle interventions. You’ll see it in the soft pattern of the London Plane timber, the capital’s street trees that were sourced from Denmark Hill, close to Jan’s workshop in Woolwich.
In addition to Jan Hendzel Studio’s work, a selection of British brands have also supported the project. Pickleson Paint, a new paint brand based just a stone’s throw from the Town Hall Hotel, to create a range of colours that spoke to the design and local area. You’ll see licks of East End Clay on the walls, an entirely new shade custom made specially for this project, alongside the brand’s Drunk Tahini and Tarte Tan shades. Elsewhere, the suites are complemented by lighting, upholstery and accessories from British brands including A Rum Fellow, Yarn Collective, Hand & Eye Studio, Lights&Lamps and Fariceramics. The crinoid marble used for the kitchen countertops was sourced from Mandel quarry in Derby. These are the local touches that make the space unique.
The suites will also showcase Jan Hendzel Studios’ new furniture collection, launching in conjunction with the project.
About Town Hall Hotel
Set in the heart of London’s vibrant East End, the award-winning Town Hall Hotel combines architectural splendour with cutting-edge design and a devotion to the pleasures of life. The hotel houses 97 bedrooms and suites, many equipped with fully fitted kitchens, allowing for both short and long-term stays. This offering also includes one of the largest hotel suites in London; the De Montfort Suite.
On the ground floor of the property, you will find Da Terra, their two Michelin star restaurant, Silkweaver, the hotel’s bar, a 14 metre pool and gym, and a variety of meeting rooms and event spaces. One of which is The Council Chamber; a grade-II listed interior with Art Deco furnishings of polished oak, teak & fine leather seating. These have been restored with exceptional attention to detail. Here, aged leather & reclaimed wood are used to give the same soft, attractive patina of age. This space is also licensed for weddings and civil partnership ceremonies.
About Jan Hendzel Studio
South London-based furniture brand Jan Hendzel Studio was founded by self-taught furniture maker Jan Hendzel in 2015. The studio’s diverse portfolio of work celebrates British craftsmanship and natural homegrown materials. Merging traditional joinery techniques with digital manufacturing practices allows the studio to experiment with texture and function to unique furniture pieces that lay between sculpture and furniture. Sustainability is at the heart of the practice, and their focus on quality materials, longevity and a circular approach to design, contributes to the integrity of the projects they are involved with.
Since its inception, the studio has realised ambitious projects for leading architectural practices and design studios and in 2020 launched Bowater, the studios first collection of furniture which is made exclusively from British Timbers and demonstrates the untapped range and variety of timbers present in the UK’s woodland. The collection comprises nine pieces, from a chest of drawers and sideboard to a series of desk trays and decorative sculptural objects.
