{"id":210661,"date":"2023-05-12T11:36:34","date_gmt":"2023-05-12T15:36:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/interiordesign.net\/?post_type=id_project&p=210661"},"modified":"2023-05-12T11:36:37","modified_gmt":"2023-05-12T15:36:37","slug":"virgin-hotels-edinburgh-ica-architects-four-by-two","status":"publish","type":"id_project","link":"https:\/\/interiordesign.net\/projects\/virgin-hotels-edinburgh-ica-architects-four-by-two\/","title":{"rendered":"Virgin Hotels Makes Its European Debut in Edinburgh, Scotland"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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May 12, 2023<\/p>\n\n\n

Words: <\/span>Edie Cohen<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photography: <\/span>Tom Sullam<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Virgin Hotels Makes Its European Debut in Edinburgh, Scotland<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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In addition to the 12th-century Edinburgh castle and the three-week performing-arts extravaganza that is Festival Fringe, the Scottish capital now also boasts another major draw: the newly opened outpost of Virgin Hotels, the brand\u2019s first in Europe and seventh overall. (Sign of a recent expansion, three more are in development for nearby Glasgow as well as Miami and Denver.) Situated in the heart of Old Town and located within the 19th-century complex of India Buildings connected to Greyfriars Hall, all UNESCO World Heritage sites<\/a>, this 222-key property portrays a mash-up of Victoriana and the con\u00adtemporary tropes expected of Sir Richard Branson\u2019s 2010\u2013launched brand. Developed by real-estate investment company Flemyn, the hotel is a collaboration between ICA Architects<\/a> and Four-By-Two<\/a>, with the latter\u2019s design director, Karen Maxwell, taking charge of interiors. (Furniture in the restaurant and the rooftop terrace, meanwhile, are by Joelle Interiors.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Standouts abound, starting with the main entry sequence featuring vaulted ceilings, a grand staircase, and a domed rotunda. Amenities include Greyfriars, an erstwhile medieval church newly transformed into an events space; the red-on-red Scarlet Lounge; and the Commons Club lounge and restaurant, a Virgin standard, with an exquisitely crafted millwork bar. Stellar art is a unifier. Note the commissioned painting by Alan Macdonald hanging over the bar\u2019s mantle and Arthur Mamou-Mani\u2019s 10-foot-wide, 3D-printed chandelier illuminating a former nave. Curated works feature prominently in the calm and composed guest rooms, too, kitted out with custom timber paneling and Moroccan rugs<\/a> woven by women\u2019s cooperatives in the Atlas Mountains.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Inside Virgin Hotels in Edinburgh Designed by ICA Architects and Four-By-Two<\/h2>\n\n\n\n