Installations | HIX 2025

HIX & Co present: Hotel BDC

Marking our largest and most ambitious installation project so far, HOTEL BDC tasks four leading design studios to reimagine Islington’s iconic Business Design Centre as a hotel experience.

Centred around a deep dive historical report by heritage consultants Historic Productions – and guided by our show theme ‘a sense of place’ – the results will be presented as part of an immersive multimedia gallery created by set-builders Cloud & Horse at HIX LDN 2024, with each vision drawing from the surrounding area’s past and present to create a hospitality concept that celebrates the power of locality, heritage and community in hotel design.

Ahead of the big reveal on 27 & 28 November, we sat down with each team to hear more about their proposed concepts.

In partnership with

PURCELL

The Glasshouse Urban Retreat

The partners: Customs Bureau, Idle & Wonder

What they say: “A hub of civic activity for Islington and the wider community. A station for people visiting, or a destination for those looking to find out more about moving towards a plant-based society, whether that’s reducing out impact, or reimagining the waste production process. It’s a luxury experience, but also a factory for reinventing the way that we live”

4Corners Design

The Smithfield Cattle Club Hotel

The partners: Pearlfisher

What they say: “We’ve reimagined the BDC as a centre of guided journeys, embracing new and natural psychedelics and traditional drugs to promote mental health, along with the discovery of decadent, elevated experiences. It imagines a future where things that are seen as subversive now are commonplace, where you can drop by for a psilocybin omelette before a therapeutic guided experience from an expert practitioner.”

3STORIES

Pleasure Garden at The Aggie

What they say: "We invite you to experience the vibrant energy of Islington’s Pleasure Garden at The Aggie, where history meets modern entertainment and every visit promises unforgettable moments. Join us and discover a unique urban oasis that celebrates art, culture and culinary delights of London.”

ATELLIOR

FlutterLab

What they say: “It embraces the allure of acrobatic and equestrian circus performances with a sophisticated combination of vibrant nostalgia and playful elegance. There are bold colour palettes, intricate patterns and ornate décor reminiscent of vintage fairgrounds that look to transport guests into a realm of wonder.”