Lancaster House: a stunning showcase of British design

The sumptuous and splendid Lancaster House, alongside St James’s Park, has been transformed for the Olympics into the British Business Embassy by the government department of UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) – and I got the chance to see it all for myself on a special preview night.

It’s not going to be open to the public so this was truly a sneak peek. Here – on an ambitious scale - will be daily conferences and meetings for potential investors from all over the world. The stated aim of the UKTI is direct and to the point - "to meet, influence and do business".


(Above: The British Business Embassy)

I got my invite because the whole place has been filled temporarily with British design, art and craft – a stunning showcase. Out went the period furniture and fine paintings and in came work by Arad, Lovegrove, Morrison and lots of lesser-known names.

“Actually a lot of the furniture there already was surprisingly repro,” said Diana Yakeley (right), president of the British Institute of Interior Design (BIID), who masterminded furniture selections and the overall look of the rooms. The really good bits of furniture were still in place – giant boldly-baroque console tables for example. 

I had a personal tour with Christine Losecaat. Her experience, vision and dedication are unequalled in the world of “official” design though her title  – “creative director of the legacy unit” – is a bit of a mouthful. I was handed a Samsung tablet (sponsor!) which is cleverly touch-loaded with all the details of all products room by room – sadly (though handbag sized...) I didn’t get to take that home.

“Government has finally recognized the importance of design – we’ve really got there,” said long-term design advocate Sir John Sorrell, always friendly and forthcoming. A UKTI business ambassador and founder of the London Design Festival in 2003, he chaired the “creative panel” (which also included Diana and Christine) behind this design project, which is pretty much the most wide-ranging and grandest I’ve seen in a long life of design reporting.

Sorrell added: “Lancaster House is not just about business opportunities in design – though there are lots of those. We are showing how modern design can shape an image of Britain which creates opportunities in all areas of business.”

There are around 230,000 designers in the British design industry, making it the biggest in Europe, and a thriving source of exports.

After checking through security – passport needed – I found myself in the most awe-inspiring hall you could imagine, complete with ornate columns, a double set of sweeping stairs, filigree ironwork, gilt galore, and a neck-cricking lantern roof. Begun in 1825 for the Prince of York, second son of George III, this is considered the last great Georgian mansion in London – and a visiting Queen Victoria a little later said it was a grander “palace” than her own.

Grabbing attention amidst this golden neo-classical finery – but looking remarkably at home - were a pair of long, very silver and very modern metal benches, with a mesmerising rippled surface. They are by London architect Thomas Heatherwick (currently starring in his own show at the V&A) and are the only pieces of “extruded” metal furniture ever made – and also the longest metal extrusion of any kind. The steel is squeezed out a bit like toothpaste. Super-shiny (300 hours of polishing) and just a taste of what was coming.

I was invited to this evening of design by the young East Ender Lee Broom (right) who recently won the Elle Deco accolade of “Designer of the Year”. Accordingly, he got to kit out the “Gold Room” at the mansion, with his latest collections. Lee’s work is essentially glamorous and well suited the fancy period surroundings. “It’s the first venue where we haven’t had to worry about the backdrop for our work,” he confided.

Elsewhere, another 17 rooms had been filled with furniture from a legion of British designers and exquisite works of craft. Here a Conran chesterfield with fabric by Paul Smith and a nest of tables from Ercol, there a cork stool by Jasper Morrison, a Balzac chair by Matthew Hilton, and a circular Dyson fan. Not so well known (perhaps) are Jake Dyson (son of Sir James), Benjamin Hubert, Sean Dare, Assembly Rooms, Bethan Gray, Emily Johnson, adventurous studios and brands. Many pieces are already uncompromisingly modern design classics but looked very happily placed. Then there was the mind-blowing art – a complete “re-hang” with all those treasures from the government’s art collection. Some pictures had been loaned by embassies, but many will stay in place.

“There are four main seminar rooms,” Diana explained – the largest (the Music Room) seats 150 people. “All pieces are on loan, so we were dependent on generosity, which was abundant.” She started work around eight months ago – “it’s been an amazing opportunity.”

Stealing the show was a spectacular installation in the garden by Jason Bruges. Called “Mirror Mirror” you may have seen it at the Decode exhibition at the V&A a couple of years ago. Here an immaculate pool – itself mirror smooth - was filled with glittering columns, magically reflecting pixellated images of whoever was in front of them – me with my camera, for example. It may all be done with mirrors but with some very superior digital trickery.

Spell-binding were the pieces collected by the Crafts Council, and displayed in individual softly-lit boxes in the library’s bookcases.

Visitors gazed entranced at exquisite pottery and silverware, impeccably-stitched shoes, and one of Michael Eden’s amazing 3D-printed vases (right), spiky and stick-like. On a frivolous note, an insider showed me how one section of the wall swung open to reveal a secret door, which given a little push revealed a rather dowdy loo, which it seems, is used by royalty in need.

It’s a shame this mansion of design delights won’t go on general view to Londoners. Exploring was a treat and a privilege. Here at Homes & Property through numerous articles we’ve shown that British design leads the world – and now world business leaders will know it too.
 
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