Design-focused serviced apartment brand Locke has opened its fifth property in London, and eleventh in its portfolio.
The newly developed Buckle Street Studios is located in Aldgate in East London, adjacent to the Leman Locke property and minutes from the City, Tower Bridge and Brick Lane.
The aparthotel occupies 13 storeys with 103 accommodations, a concept store, co-working area, Shaman coffee shop and meeting room. The property differs from Locke’s other aparthotels in that it features 16 hotel-style rooms for short-stay guests alongside 87 compact apartments with kitchens and living areas.
This will be the first Locke to feature a concept store and dedicated ‘Makers Space’ that champions emerging designers and artists. The concept store will display limited edition items and handmade items by custom sneaker designer AfroKickz, ceramicist Ally Powell and artist Dion Kitson.
The aparthotel has been designed by Matthew Grzywinski of Grzywinski+Pons, the brains behind the first four Locke locations. The exterior features a translucent glass crown enclosing the top two floors, which has been designed to resemble a modernist lighthouse as an “iconic beacon from which guests can explore East London”.
Social spaces feature curved furniture, smooth arches, timber walls and a neutral colour palette, while apartments have sophisticated neutral tones and moody lighting with raw concrete and plaster alongside brushed brass finishes.
Guests will also have access to the social spaces at Leman Locke, which includes a gym, Shaman coffee shop, co-working space and vegan restaurant Alter by chef Andy Hogben.
Eric Jafari, Chief Development Officer and Creative Director, Locke, commented:
“Buckle Street Studios is the cherry on top of an exceptionally busy year of new openings across Europe for Locke. The project is another masterstroke in design by Grzywinski+Pons, and an example of how hotels as spaces are evolving to become increasingly hybrid and versatile. The concept store and Makers Space is a particularly exciting project for us, and we hope that it will enable guests and locals to discover some of the most talented emerging creatives in the UK.”
Locke recently opened its second aparthotel in Dublin in the Docklands area, following its debut in the city earlier this year by Ha’penny Bridge.
The Locke brand was launched in 2016, and is named after 17th century English philosopher and physician John Locke. Buckle Street Studios joins four existing London properties, Eden Locke in Edinburgh, Whitworth Locke in Manchester, two properties in Dublin, Schwan Locke in Munich and Turing Locke in Cambridge.
