UK: Aparthotel brand Locke has opened Buckle Street Studios by Locke in Aldgate – its 11th property, and fifth location in London.
Located close to the City, Tower Bridge and Brick Lane, the newly developed Buckle Street Studios sits adjacent to the first ever Locke – Leman Locke, on Leman Street.
The 13-storey building comprises 103 units, a concept store, coworking area, coffee shop and meeting room. The new addition to the Locke portfolio breaks with brand convention, with a hybrid room mix that includes 87 compact apartments as well as 16 new hotel-style rooms for short stay guests.
Buckle Street Studios will be the first Locke to feature a concept store and dedicated makers space that will champion emerging designers and artists, most of which are local. The concept store will showcase limited edition items and collectables “that blur the lines between art and commodity”, including handmade items by custom sneaker designer AfroKickz, ceramicist Ally Powell and artist Dion Kitson. On the mezzanine floor, the coworking space will also host the aparthotel’s evolving cultural programme.
“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,” said Eric Jafari, chief development officer and creative director at Locke.
