A-nrd designs Arthouse Glasgow hotel to "feel like it belongs to the city"

Interior architecture studio A-nrd has transformed a 19th-century Glasgow townhouse into a hotel with a raw, honest material palette that celebrates the Scottish city's industrial heritage.

The studio, headed by Alessio Nardi and Lukas Persakovas, was tasked with renovating the Victorian building that was originally converted into a hotel in 1999.

British hospitality brand Oberland wanted its debut hotel to reflect its low intervention approach to development, so A-nrd began by stripping away layers of additions to reveal the building's original fabric.

"From the outset, we wanted Arthouse to feel like a place that had always belonged to the city," Nardi explained. "Every decision was made with the existing architecture in mind, from restoring original features and designing bespoke furniture to collaborating with Scottish artists, makers and craftspeople."

In a previous incarnation the hotel was known as the ArtHouse so the team chose to revive this identity and reinforce the connection to the site’s history.

The reimagined interior seeks to balance the building's grandeur with a more intimate atmosphere inspired by the spontaneity and casual decor of an artist's atelier.

The original birdcage lift, stained-glass windows and tiled walls were carefully preserved and restored as part of the project, while the Victorian proportions and high ceilings lend the spaces a generous feel.

Elements such as the original brick walls and wooden floors were left exposed and any necessary repairs were made using modern materials to create an intentional contrast between old and new.

"Glasgow has a strong industrial heritage that we wanted to reference in this project," Nardi told Dezeen.

"We used materials like stainless steel, zinc and dark-toned wood to give the spaces a grittier, stripped-back aesthetic."

The 76 guest rooms combine original features with bespoke contemporary interventions such as wooden bed frames, built-in storage and handcrafted coat hooks made by West House Pottery.

The team worked with local artists, makers and organisations wherever possible, including Glaswegian glass artist Vicky Higginson, who created the wall lamps for some of the bedrooms.

The hotel's public areas include a lounge featuring a palette based around a deep-olive hue that extends across the walls, ceiling and joinery.

Bespoke seating designed by A-nrd is upholstered in a matching sage-green fabric by Kirkby Design, while vintage furniture introduces an array of different textures.

On the opposite side of the lobby, Celentano's restaurant was designed as a relaxed dining environment with a pared-back bistro aesthetic.

The reclaimed flooring, exposed brickwork and glazed tiling create a sense of consistency with the rest of the hotel, while a bespoke zinc-topped bar with a hand-hammered edge adds a crafted element.

The hotel's circulation spaces combine original details with vintage furniture and custom-made elements, such as the lobby's sculptural wooden reception desk and bespoke pendant light also designed by A-nrd.

The lift and stairwell located in the centre of the building connect with large corridors where green painted walls contrast with the original white Victorian tiles and terrazzo floors.

The guest rooms were arranged across the three upper floors, while the lower ground floor, which previously housed a restaurant, is currently being converted into more compact guest rooms.

"With this project, we wanted every intervention to be guided by a desire to create a hotel that feels grounded in its surroundings," Nardi concluded.

"The result is a hotel that invites guests to experience Glasgow through spaces that feel layered, authentic and lived in."

A-nrd works across interior and furniture design, adopting an approach that focuses on the importance of storytelling and atmosphere to create distinctive, characterful spaces.

Previous projects include a similar restorative approach to the design of a hotel housed in a 19th-century mansion in south London, as well as a canalside restaurant in West London featuring hand-crafted surfaces informed by the area's industrial past.

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