Following from the success of their previous 5 Andels hotels for Warimpex, Jestico + Whiles was appointed as interior designer and interior architect, to work alongside executive architects OP Architekten, to create a stunning contemporary hotel from one of the largest Victorian textile factories in Europe. The factory was opened in1852 by the industrialist Izrael Poznanaski. After WWII it was nationalized and quality and markets declined until it closed, semi-derelict, in 1997.

The design has been developed in close consultation with the conservation authorities of Lodz and unlocks the true potential of this historic building, of stunning proportions, for the first time in 30 years. The designers’ mission was to find an entirely new way for the building to be perceived and experienced, to release the joy and delight locked in the history of the building.This was achieved by contrasting the preserved industrial fabric with strong, but spare, contemporary interventions.

The hotel includes 180 bedrooms and 80 long stay apartments located, by necessity to the perimeter of the upper levels to take advantage of the high factory windows which let light deep into each floor of the building. This distribution would have left the central bay of each of the deep factory floors deprived of natural light, and over-sized for the required circulation.

Here was our opportunity. Three stacks of elliptical light wells are punched through the full height of the building. These taper and are aligned obliquely, perceived as unified cones, reaching up through five floors to a glazed rooflight. These “light cones” create a holistic experience at the ground floor and at every bedroom floor, unlocking an ever changing combination of framed views up to the sky and down to the animation of the lobby and lobby bar. Daylight is channelled to illuminate the heart of the deep, open plan ground floor lobby bar and, by night, coloured light stains the ellipses to create towering, kinetic sculptures, or films are projected onto them to create distorted, abstract cinemas, adding discrete animation to a calm space. The soft curves of the light cones contrast with the tight, marching grid of cast iron columns, while the solid, brilliant white balustrades contrast with the softness, texture and warmth of the aged red brick vaulted ceilings.

A 600 capacity banquet/ ballroom with “orchestra quality” acoustics is located on the top floor, to allow a new long span roof to create an immense column free space.Throughout the building original textiles from the factory have been used to contrast with the industrial steel and brick vaults. The original patterns are blown up and colour saturation is increased to mouth watering, fruity intensity.Many salvaged items from the factory have been retained, but are stripped and isolated and spot lit to enhance their importance.