The client’s brief was to create a bespoke and curated collection of apartments within the King’s Cross masterplan. Competing with many other new residential developments on site or recently delivered in the area, LUMA needed to own its identity, making it a desirable place to live. The joined-up collaboration between the client Argent, architects Squire & Partners and interior designers Conran and Partners, has made the story of LUMA’s design an easy tale to tell.

Conran and Partners’ has given the development, which consists of two stepped blocks and a total of 61 homes, a unique interior identity which contrasts dramatic design features with moments of calm, offering a tranquil, spa-like escapism for residents.

The belief that ‘light brings space to life’ stands at the heart of Luma’s design ethos – it’s the inspiration for the curation of the living spaces, the muse behind the distinctive architecture and interior colour palette, and the essence of the building’s name. The key objective was therefore to create bright and open spaces which offered a feeling of openness and luxury.

Key to the design is the journey from public to private; from a bustling urban external space, to the warm multi-layered lobby, to the serenity of the apartments. The bathrooms, being the most private spaces in the development, are deliberately understated with an abundance of natural light and a refined and quality material palette to create a connection back to nature and to induce a feeling of purity and serenity.

We have sought to create a sense of identity and character within the apartments themselves which have been described as having the feel of a collection of bespoke residences, despite there being a total of 61 units.

The bathrooms incorporate ribbed timber details, bespoke statement double vanity units, frameless walk-through showers with timber slated bases, elegant free standing baths positioned in the window to further instil the connection to the nature outside, while creating a refined, natural and spa-like aesthetic.

Inspired by a luxury hotel suite, we have added a separate double WC to allow the bathrooms to feel fresh and refined. Given the urban location of the project it was key that the bathrooms felt tranquil, open, and calming.

Benefitting from an unrivalled position within the King’s Cross Estate, LUMA is well connected to facilitate sustainable inner-city living. We have consciously chosen certified and sustainable materials throughout with durable, timeless and high-quality FF+E to withstand the test of time.

Our role as designers is to create spaces for people, and that means all people. As we design spaces long before we know who is going to be occupying them, it is therefore key that the design is inclusive and future-proofed for a variety of tenants with differing abilities. Ten per cent of all units have been accessibly designed to attract every type of buyer and ultimately futureproof the building. LUMA is already home to a wheelchair user who has praised the space for being extremely easy to access.

It was a testament to the project that all apartments were sold before the project’s completion, with the exception of the Dusk and Dawn Penthouses.

WORDS

Yana Trzebska
Spatial The United Kingdom Awards Bathroom Living London Conran and Partners FA21 Argent Shortlisted