Lavender's Blue: Wherever there's design there's Lavender's Blue

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It’s a table with one of the best views in London, rivalling that of Decimo in King’s Cross. The bricks of Battersea Power Station are practically within touching distance while PLP Architecture’s Nova development across the Thames in Victoria appears as an improbable pyramid. On the 15th floor of Art’otel, the chain with a penchant for lower case font and upper end modern art, Joia brings Portuguese food to the English Capital. Head Chef Henrique Sá Pessoa is known for his two Michelin starred Alma restaurant in Lisbon.

The Joia vibe is The Great Gatsby or at least Baz Luhrmann’s film version of the novel. Luxury hotel specialist Russell Sage Studio uses a peach and pink led palette of pastels which works especially well under the glow of sunset. It’s an updated Twenties look chiming with the construction date of the Power Station. Porthole like circular mirrors reflect the view. The curved northeast wall is distractingly fully glazed. A sweeping staircase fit for Daisy Buchanan to descend in style links the 85 cover restaurant to the double height bar.

Stretching the literary metaphor, the food is up to East Egg meets West Egg party standards with a heavy dose of Iberian flavour. Somehow the modish plates (as opposed to three standard courses) work in this setting. As the mercury lowers Henrique’s kitchen proves its salt with Padron peppers, asparagus, monkfish, patatas bravas, and crema Catalana with burnt orange ice cream. Surely Henrique will be awarded coveted étoiles en Angleterre. A rooftop bar and infinity pool above Joia is straight out of a Jazz Age book.

Head Sommelier David Nunes explains, “Our wine list offers a wide selection that celebrates the rich heritage, diverse terroirs and centuries old winemaking traditions of Portugal and Spain. Each bottle tells a story of craftmanship and passion from the sun drenched vineyards of Douro valley to the rolling hills of Rioja. Each bottle tells a story of craftmanship and passion. Savour the bold structured reds of Ribera del Duero. Explore Portugal’s distinctive varietals from the deep complexity of Touriga Nacional to the crisp freshness of Vinho Verde.” Or Gaintza Txakolina, Basque rosé colour coordinating with the pink sunset.

Local estate agent Gabriel Cunningham of Dexters sums up the 17 hectare regeneration site, “The Battersea Power Station redevelopment is now the epicentre of the wider area. It ticks every box in terms of bars, restaurants, shopping, children’s activities and social events.” Monumentality on a modest scale is a contradiction so everything about the blocks surrounding the Power Station is big. Really big. Frank Gehry’s two trademark tipsily topsy turvy twisting towers are like his Düsseldorf RheinHafen Arts and Meda Centre on steroids.

Adam, Pugin, Wyatt … the great British architectural dynasties. Plus the Gilbert Scotts. Sir George Gilbert Scott (1811 to 1878) designed St Pancras Renaissance Hotel which has been recycled and upcycled. The output of his grandson Sir Giles Gilbert Scott (1880 to 1960) has fared just as well. Liverpool Anglican Cathedral still serves its original purpose. His Bankside Power Station on London’s Southbank is celebrating its 25th anniversary as Tate Modern. After closing in the Eighties, Battersea Power Station is now one of the largest multipurpose buildings in Britain.

Northern Lights

The view from our bedroom includes at least three icons of the city. Far left is the Anglican cathedral, designed by a youthful Gilbert Scott before he went on to design Battersea Power Station. To the right is the Catholic cathedral, its unforgettable silhouette having long earned it the sobriquet “Paddy’s Wigwam”. Straight ahead is Albert Dock. Outside of London, Liverpool has more listed buildings than any other UK city.

Above the Mersey, the hillside Hope Street links both cathedrals on axis. True to form, it has period buildings aplenty including the very High Victorian Philharmonic Dining Rooms which have the city’s fanciest loos. Encaustic tiles run riot. Equally majestic is the former London Carriage Works warehouse built in 1869. This Venetian palazzo has found a new use this century as Hope Street Hotel. A contrasting contemporary extension by Falconer Chester Hall introduced the first new façade to Hope Street in four decades.

We caught up with Creative Director Mary Colston, one of four co founders of the hotel. “There’s a strong Danish influence to the interior style,” she explains. “We let the natural textures do their job,” looking round at the exposed brick walls, iron columns and timber beams criss-crossing the ceiling of the lobby. The simplicity of form is Mondrian inspired. “Sometimes people say why don’t you put up a picture on the walls? But the walls are lovely in themselves. Less really is more!”

This thinking extends to the 89 bedrooms – 51 in the old building; 38 in the new – with their leather door plates, solid timber floors and white walls. “It takes confidence to have a pure white bed,” Mary believes. “I’m not a fan of cushions and throws. Instead we have oversized beds covered in white Egyptian cotton.” White plus wood equals warm minimalism. Ren toiletries and embossed soft white towels complement the streamlined elegance of wet room style showers. Several of the suites have deep oval wooden baths.

“The London Carriage Works is already an established destination restaurant for Liverpudlians,” remarks Mary. “We make sure everyone’s welcome. People come dressed up for a night out or in T shirts and sneakers. It has a relaxed ambience. We pride ourselves on being dog friendly. To distinguish the brasserie from the bar area we commissioned a glass sculpture designed by Basia Chlebik and made by Daedalian Glass. The sculpture’s based on a glass chandelier crashing to the ground in one of the Batman movies. It catches the natural light and changes hue throughout the day.” The shards of storey high glass are like a miniature abstract version of César Pelli’s One Park West, the 17 storey glacial edifice opposite Canning Dock, part of Grosvenor’s Liverpool One development.

“Hope Street won the Academy of Urbanism’s Great Street Award 2013,” says Mary proudly. “It’s a great example of a neighbourhood coming together for the common good. We all talk to each other – museums, galleries, restaurants…” She recounts how locals refer to the suntrap corner of Hope Street and Falkner Street as “Toxteth Beach”. This urban strand is lined with canopied shopfronts, a high cappuccino count among the Georgian buildings. “We’re planning another extension,” confirms Mary, “this time, apart-rooms with a swimming pool on the roof. Why not? Barcelona comes to Toxteth!”

The confident use of materials and textures in the interior is matched by Chef Paul Askew’s confident use of regional ingredients and specialities in the food. Well trained staff serve us dinner. A delicate amuse bouche of scallops precedes a starter of grilled fillet of Menai mackerel with fennel purée and orange salad with citrus dressing. Main course is natural smoked Scottish haddock risotto. Cabbage, leeks, mascarpone, parsley and Mrs Kirkham’s extra mature Lancashire cheese infuse this course with flavour. After this coastal tour of Britain comes more home comfort – peanut butter cheesecake with milk sorbet and chocolate cookie. Hope Street Hotel lives up to its rep as Liverpool’s finest boutique place to stay.

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