So much design is an accumulation of ideas collected, reimagined and reassembled from previous generations and iterations – a validation of Isaac Newton’s ‘if I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.’
But there are moments, when individuals change our direction of travel. Just when you think matters are settled and progressing safely and sedately, someone switches the track and the train shoots off in a whole new direction.
Such a moment happened, at the end of the 1970’s, when Anouska Hempel opened Blakes Hotel. Celebrated as the first boutique hotel, it exploded into the senses as an expression of the decadence of the time.
Actress, designer, couturier, hotelier, Anouska Hempel is the quintessential Renaissance woman. She came to London as part of the Antipodean invasion in the 1960’s, which didn’t so much ride the zeitgeist as helped to create it.
Her mastery of symmetry, geometry, repetition and scale, gives her work an identity, instantly recognisable. And this, allied to her famous/notorious perfectionism, has ensured that Anouska Hempel’s work electrifies today as it did almost half a century ago.
We are proud to recognise her with the first Andrew Martin Lifetime Achievement Award.
Most designs are the accumulation of previous views and ideas, and are re-conceived and reorganized on the results of many iterations of predecessors. As Newton said, "If I see farther than others, it's because I stand on the shoulders of giants." ”
But just as you feel like everything is in order and moving forward safely, there will always be a moment when someone suddenly switches the train to a whole new track and changes the direction of our travel.
This moment in the world of design took place at the end of the 70s of the 20th century, marked by the opening of the Blake Hotel in London, designed by Anouska Hempel. The first boutique design hotel, it has made a splash in the industry and transported everyone into an exciting era.
An actress, designer, dressier, hotelier, Anouska Hempel is a typically versatile woman. She is an Australian and New Zealand immigrant who came to London in the 60s of the 20th century, and her thinking is not swayed by the trend of thought at that time.
Her masterful treatment of symmetry, geometric blocks, repetition and scale gives her designs a distinctive character, combined with her well-known perfectionism, Anosca Hemppel's work, although completed 50 years ago, has a lasting influence on the present.
We are proud to present her with the first Andrew Martin Lifetime Achievement Award.
—— Martin Waller
The First Andrew Martin Lifetime Achievement Award
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26th Andrew Martin International Interior Design Award
Lifetime Achievement Award
Anouska Hempel
FOUNDER OF ANOUSKA HEMEL
26th Andrew Martin International Interior Design Award
Lifetime Achievement Award recipient
Anouska Hempel was born in Wellington, New Zealand in 1941. Actress, designer, fashion designer, hotelier, she is the representative of Renaissance women. In 1978, Anouska Hempel pioneered the concept of a boutique hotel with the ingenuity of the Blake Hotel in London, boldly using 47 different room design styles, combining various ideas from opera, film, art and other fields to create an intriguing design space to ensure that guests are always in a space of surprise, which was very crazy at the time and became the model of boutique hotel design in the world.
"My design philosophy is: mystery, romance, drama and perfection. A utopian whirlpool of stories told and unfolding, making dreams a reality, every inch full of beauty, joy and charm. ”
—— Anouska Hempel
In 1981, Anouska Hempel's design appeared on the first cover of World Of Interiors, symbolizing a fresh beginning, and after more than 40 years of precipitation, Anouska's talent changed from the maximalism of the Blake Hotel to the minimalism of "Hempel".
"This lifetime achievement award marks a change in the direction of travel, just when you think things have settled down and moved safely and orderly, someone changes tracks and the train goes in a whole new direction."
—— Martin Waller
On October 17, the awards gala took place at the V&A Museum in London, and when he took the stage to accept the award, Anouska Hempel said: "I am thrilled and unexpected, the years have never stopped me from moving forward, it is a truly exciting evening to receive this award and recognition. ”
Design works
Projects
BLAKES
HOTEL,LONDON
Blakes Hotel is ideally located in a quiet part of South Kensington, London, but also a luxury boutique hotel with a long history. Designed by Anouska Hempel, the hotel's fine restaurants and lavish interiors feature unique antiques and elegant rich fabrics, many with original artwork. Blakes' Asian-inspired restaurant serves creative and exquisite cuisine. Adjacent to the restaurant are Chinese-style rooms. This unique hotel is located in an exclusive area of London, just a 10-minute walk from trendy bars and the city's lively nightlife. The unique style here is also loved by tourists from all over the world who come to London.
COLE PARK
WILTSHIRE
Cole Park is a Grade II listed moat country house in the UK, set on the grounds of a former medieval abbey park once owned by Malmesbury Abbey.
The earliest surviving part of the house dates back to the mid-16th century, but has undergone extensive renovations and alterations throughout its history. Fiancier Sir Mark Weinberger and his wife, designer Anouska Hempel, bought it in the mid-1980s. Designer Anouska Hempel has rebuilt and designed Cole Park, bringing the estate back to life with natural beauty and history.
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Editor / Ander Martin / Ander Martin