Locke London Canary Wharf has opened its doors with Mid-Century interiors by Holloway Li.
Drawing from the studio’s characteristic design approach ‘the Cinematic Everyday’, the ground floor has been imagined as a series of filmic ‘sets’ anchored by feature joinery pieces which act as characters in the space.
“We often start with a film reference to set the creative direction of our work – to conjure a particular atmosphere, materiality and an almost filmic frame-like progression through spaces,” explains Praveen Paranagamage, Associate Director, Holloway Li. “At Locke London Canary Wharf, we wanted to view its history of corporate industry through a nostalgic lens, whilst pivoting to talk about its more lifestyle-oriented, hedonistic future. We drew inspiration from the suave office aesthetic of the 1960s, popularised by the opulent version depicted in the cult TV show ‘Mad Men’.”
The vast ground floor is broken down into a series of more intimate zones through subtle shifts in colour and pattern, housing a lounge, library, deli cafe and a bar. The hotel lounge overlooks the adjacent dock, defined by sumptuous burgundies and deep greens, structured by a long procession of angular columns. A series of bespoke art rugs designed by Holloway Li in collaboration with Modersia defines each seating zone. Feature furniture pieces from Tacchini, Pierre Frey and Pierre Jeanneret recall the sculptural exuberant forms and graphic patterns of the mid-century Avant-Garde.
A shimmering chrome-dipped decorative frame surrounds the entrance to the Library. Inside, ultramarine blues pierce across an earthy brown backdrop, a subtle nod to ‘bluescreens’ traditionally used in film production. A limited-edition print by 60s Vogue photographer Guy Bourdin gazes back toward guests as they enter, as if ‘breaking the fourth wall’.
Behind a curtain towards the rear of the space, the bar evokes the ‘era of the three-Martini lunch’; a suave, casual counterpoint to the more theatrical rooftop bar and restaurant, opening late 2026 which has also been designed by Holloway Li. Here, a base palette of browns and greens are offset by the vermillion hues of bespoke prints by Inka Bell and Cecilia di Paolo.
The studio worked directly with local East-end carpenters Craftworks Productions to develop a series of characterful new joinery pieces. Two large bookshelves clad in oak burr and high gloss burgundy lacquer anchor the main lounge space. A Greeter Station dressed in burr and red leather acts as a touchpoint for guests en-route to the rooftop bar, opening late 2026. The final ‘character’ is a folded stainless steel and blue lacquer DJ booth, evoking the sinuous retro-futuristic forms of 60s automobile design, its two glowing headlights casting light across the dancefloor.
Holloway Li designed the guestrooms as the first upscale modular lifestyle hotel rooms in the UK, planned from the ground-up to be fitted-out entirely off-site through a rigorous factory prototyping process. This approach allowed the designers to challenge the typical spatial constraints of UK hotel rooms, offering a generous lounge area and an open plan bathroom experience.
The interiors are a nod to the clean lines, graphic patterns and opulence of Mid-Century Modern interiors, opening out to sweeping views of sunrise over the Thames as it curves around the Greenwich Peninsula and distant cranes of the Docklands beyond. A formal grid of dark walnut framing creates the feeling of a series of ‘open rooms’, with reeded glass infills allowing light to pass between spaces while preserving a sense of separation. High-level mirrors create an infinity effect that lifts the perceived height of the rooms.
A restrained sage green palette and oak flooring contrasts against the walnut framing. The colour tone continues into the WC/ Shower rooms, with a striped green tile, warm terrazzo vanity and brass ironmongery gently recalling 60s interiors.
The oversized ‘sofa pit’ in each room recalls the conversation pit in Don and Megan Draper’s apartment in ‘Mad Men’. It also acts as a nostalgic throwback to 60s adult ‘Playpens’, modular sofas which could be expanded to become rooms of their own, an invitation to sink in and unwind in style.
“Locke has made a name for itself as a disruptive lifestyle brand, and Canary Wharf presented an exciting opportunity when we first started looking at the site together in 2020,” says Alex Holloway, Creative Director, Holloway Li. “Fast forward five years and the area has evolved significantly, with all the new restaurants, housing, and different types of companies making it a very different flavour these days – we even designed an office HQ for music event pioneers Broadwick Live around the corner recently.
“Locke London Canary Wharf completes a trio of hotels we have designed for Edyn. In a way our practice has matured alongside the brand since we first started working with them in 2018, and Locke London Canary Wharf feels like an elevated disruptive new direction for Edyn.”
“The opening of Locke London Canary Wharf marks an important addition to our portfolio,” says Alastair Thomann CEO, Edyn/ Locke. “The property delivers high-end design by award-winning design studio Holloway Li, versatile communal spaces and our new rooftop restaurant and bar concept. As Canary Wharf continues to grow as a residential, leisure and business destination, we look forward to welcoming guests to a property that reflects both its character and ambition.”
