Sleep student winners redesign employee restaurant at London hotel

Last year’s winners of the ReardonSmith Student Award at Sleep have completed a hotel staff restaurant concept for the Hyatt Regency London, The Churchill.

The team, students from Hoshshule Coburg University of Applied Sciences in Germany, won last year’s ReardonSmith Student Award at Sleep for their design of imaginary staff areas. It wasn’t until the awards ceremony itself, however, that they learned they would have the opportunity to redesign the Hyatt Churchill’s employee restaurant for real.

Tasked with creating three initial concepts for Hyatt’s consideration, it was their ‘Engine’ design – employing industrial imagery with brightly-toned furnishings – which won the operator’s strongest approval.

The Hyatt Churchill’s redesigned restaurant includes a lounge area, seating booths, a wall for staff to leave messages and a main dining area with high and low seating for up to 50 people. Essentially, the Engine will be a place for workers to socialise and relax that symbolises they are the hotel’s driving force.

Executive chairman of ReardonSmith Architects Patrick Reardon said: “It has been very exciting to work with Hyatt management on this project.

“They absolutely share with us the view that good facilities for employees mean better motivated staff and this translates into the most important element of a hotel’s success – people and service. The students have been a joy to work with, their concept for the new restaurant is a great response to Hyatt’s aspirations and I think it has been a very engaging experience for them.”