Culture

How’s this for an encore? After a fire in 2020, Archer Humphryes Architects led the master- planning of this restoration project, turning a cavernous collection of adjoining buildings into an easily navigable, multi-functioning 1,600-capacity music venue. The interior design, looked after by London-based firm Pirajean Lees, is sleek and opulent in its use of textile and tone. The firm was given the licence (and budget) to make custom furniture and fabrics for all facets of the project. Koko’s members club was meticulously designed in collaboration with UK speaker manufacturer Funktion-One, ensuring that conversations wouldn’t be overwhelmed and the right ambiance could be created. While the building alone is worth a visit, Koko’s list of international artists, big-name DJs and more will keep you moving.
koko.co.uk

Sir John Soane’s Museum next to Lincoln’s Inn Fields (London’s largest public square) occupies the former home and office of the neoclassical architect, which was preserved as a museum by an act of parliament in 1833. Skylights illuminate his collection of architectural models, drawings and artefacts, from the sarcophagus of Egyptian Pharaoh Seti I to paintings by Turner and Canaletto. There are also 7,000 books, among them Shakespeare’s First Folio. “This is such an important place; Soane continues to influence architects today,” says Abraham Thomas, who restored the museum to its former glory after a five-year refurbishment project in 2015.
soane.org

The former HQ of Britain’s first purpose-built car factory has been transformed into a new cultural centre with an ever-changing programme of dance, theatre, exhibitions and more. When it was completed more than a century ago, Ladbroke Hall contained car showrooms, offices and a panelled directors’ suite. Loïc Le Gaillard and Julien Lombrail, co-founders of Carpenters Workshop Gallery, are breathing new life into the vast, listed building. From the garden, designed by Chelsea Flower Show winner Luciano Giubbilei, to the Steinway & Sons grand piano in the Sunbeam Theatre, the project has involved an impressive list of collaborators and brands. An on-site restaurant led by Italian chef Emanuele Pollini opened to much fanfare in 2023.
ladbrokehall.com