Brooklands
at the Peninsula
London

Archer Humphryes Architects unveil the brand new Brooklands Bar and Restaurant concept at The Peninsula London

Archer Humphryes are proud to unveil the design of brand new Brooklands Bar and Restaurant, with Sir Michael Kadoorie, The Peninsula London and Hong Kong Shanghai Hotels. A new iconic landmark in London, the design pays homage to the historic Brooklands racetrack, Surrey, the world’s first purpose-built motor racing circuit which was the birthplace of British motorsport and aviation, home of Concorde and the site of significant engineering achievements. Positioned on the eighth floor of the newly opened hotel, the space overlooks Buckingham Palace, and comprises a restaurant, bar, lounge, private dining room, tabac, tasting room and outdoor terrace.

Archer Humphryes began the project eight years ago with a mission to establish a revolutionary concept that inspires technology and innovation in design everywhere. It balances awe-inspiring sculptural forms with carefully choreographed touches of design details, all the while referencing the layers of history and technological firsts that took place at Brooklands racetrack, maintaining a sense of nostalgia and a bygone era.

Brooklands is painstakingly detailed, from intricate marquetry, aluminium, brass hinges and copper rivets inspired by 1993 Napier Railton body work, early leather work pleating and stitching from car upholstery, classic luggage trunk details seen on the BOAC (British Overseas Airways Corporation) round-trip from London to Hong Kong to exquisite brass rivets and mahogany bodywork from 1914 inspired by the Hispano–Suiza exhibition at the V&A, ‘Cars Accelerating the Modern World’, not to mention, the triumph of the space; the reinterpreted model of a Concorde. Not quite to scale but still 13.6m long, it hangs from the ceiling spanning the full length of the Brooklands Restaurant. Archer Humphryes worked from the original hand drawings from Brooklands Museum and Air France, carefully bringing to life this iconic part of aviation history. The undercarriage was modelled from a 3D scan of the actual plan and creating the fins alone and finding a partner to render the idea was an engineering feat.

The space is designed to captivate the diner but not to distract from the Michelin star experience too. The carpets created by Taiping depict a celestial map of the night sky across Concorde’s route, whilst dining tables are inspired by the Rolls-Royce rotary blade, balanced with the beautiful elegance of the Pierre Paulin chairs. Off to the side is Mach 2, an aptly named Private Dining Room with capacity to seat up to 22 guests. A truly captivating space, it contains a section of Concorde fuselage modelled in solid and veneer sycamore wood and offers panoramic views of London. Open throughout the year is a heated and covered outdoor terrace, a place to watch the sun set over Hyde Park, Belgravia and Knightsbridge.