Make overhauls Marylebone’s Portman Hotel for Nobu

Make Architects has unveiled its dramatic new facelift for Marylebone’s Portman Hotel to provide a fitting new home for London’s latest 5-star Nobu hotel and restaurant on behalf of London and Regional Properties.

Opened on 3 December, the Nobu Hotel London Portman Square features 249 guest rooms and suites as well as a world-class restaurant, ballroom and meeting facilities. It is the brand’s second hotel in London and the thirteenth in their global portfolio. It is currently closed whilst London is under Tier 3 restrictions.

Whilst aiming to reuse as much of the existing structure as possible, Make’s team has overhauled the existing hotel, replacing the dark, single-storey entrance lobby with a sweeping new double-height entrance that is flooded with light.

Mindful of the area’s mixed architectural heritage, the lower levels have been clad in a dark GRC panel which wraps around the building, bringing the facade in line with neighbouring buildings and provides a new presence to the street frontage.

Internally, Make reconfigured the interior architecture of the ground and first floors, working in conjunction with interior designer David Collins Studio to shape the spaces.

Make also completed the interior design for the guestrooms and suites. Here the focus has been to maximise light, views and natural materials, following a contemporary, minimal aesthetic that expresses the Japanese ethos of Nobu.

Make interior designer Alice Simmons said: “We really wanted to merge the Japanese style synonymous with Nobu, with a sense of its West London location. As such, we’ve carefully selected materials and are using timber panelling that nods to Japanese heritage, yet uses a pale English oak, for sliding doors and seamless joinery, and have carefully chosen Japanese-influenced artwork. It’s a holistic approach to design which really cements the superb quality of the project.”

“It’s all about imbuing a sense of calm and warmth, and we’ve instilled this in every detail, from the leather stitching of the headboard to the materiality of the timber wardrobes that act as a transition space into the bedroom. Bathrooms have been designed to give a sense of the calm, luxurious ritual of bathing, with walk-in showers, marble ceramics and bespoke vanity units. The space and light that are a key part of our interior architecture have been drawn through to the bedrooms.

Make’s hotel portfolio also includes The Montpellier Chapter in Cheltenham and The Temple House hotel in Chengdu, both for Swire Hotels.