Beoto Design: Creating a Sanctuary to Escape from the Bustling Metropolis

This week’s instalment of the Project of the Week series features a calm and serene apartment design by 2024 SBID Awards Finalist, Beoto Design.

Beoto Design was appointed to design and deliver the interior design of a duplex apartment located within the iconic Battersea Power Station. The brief was to provide a sanctuary for the residents and instil their home with calmness to provide an escape from the bustling urban world outside. Beoto Design’s interior provides luxury without the traditional formalities, whilst encouraging relaxation, and provides flexibility for entertaining, and working without the need for prescribed, sub-divided rooms. Biophilic design and the careful selection of warm, earthy materials and fabrics were key to softening the raw aesthetic, in harmony with the existing historic facade.

What was the client’s brief?

With the once brownfield site now a thriving mixed-use urban quarter drawing millions of people from around the world to visit, the client’s brief was to create a sanctuary for the residents and provide an escape from the bustling metropolis outside.

There was a strong desire from the client also to resolve the stark acoustics and humanise the scale of the apartment, to support a feeling of warmth, intimacy and cosiness. Whilst the vast double height space is impressive, since it links the two levels via the mezzanine, it was imperative that noise was dampened throughout to minimise interference.

These requirements and challenges called for an interior that instils the space with calmness; provides luxury without the traditional formalities, whilst encouraging relaxation; and enables flexibility for entertaining and working without the need for prescribed, sub-divided rooms.

The base-build had many inspiring features to draw from, most notably the incredible exposed brickwork and magnificent 21ft tall, industrial window. These were complimented by oak chevron floors, brassware and dark metalwork. However, there were several areas where MEP concealment strongly imposed itself on the space. This was deemed unsightly by the client; but provided an opportunity to incorporate much needed additional storage throughout.

What inspired the design of the project?

Located within the iconic Grade II* Listed Battersea Power Station, the design celebrates the building’s rich history in synergy with a modern, dynamic and adaptable urban lifestyle.

Although the interior design is not a like-for-like replica of 1920’s Art Deco, it does recognise this aspect of the power station’s heritage throughout. For example, the headboard takes inspiration from the scalloped chimneys, divided by four vertical brass trims. The existing balustrade on the upper level provides a datum that wraps around the joinery, subtly tying the space together. The artwork and loose accessories all make a contemporary reference to Art Deco or the building.

Biophilic design and the careful selection of warm, earthy materials and fabrics were key to softening the raw aesthetic, whilst being in harmony with the existing historic facade of the building. Soft furnishings and the introduction of the enormous curtains to the full height of the window achieved significant sound dampening. The curtain stack was carefully considered so that it did not conceal any of the existing façade steelwork or listed brickwork, and appears subtle despite the grand scale.

What was the toughest hurdle your team overcame during the project?

The client and Beoto Design agreed and ensured that no existing features should be removed and put into landfill – which is sadly far too common a practice when base-build residential developments are fitted-out by their end users. Instead, we fully incorporated the entire base build into the new interior design, lifting it to a level of sophistication and luxury far beyond its initial presentation.

Dealing with the existing geometry was complex and required Beoto Design to carefully 3D scan and model in detail the entire unit, creating a one-to-one digital twin of the space. This allowed all of the joinery and furniture to be digitally tested and visualised prior to manufacture, to ensure it fitted both physically and aesthetically, achieving a high level of tolerance in manufacture and fitting, and eliminating any unnecessary returns or wasted materials.

What was your team’s highlight of the project?

We care deeply about the story and identity of a place, its history and heritage. Diving into research and thoroughly understanding the context in which we are working is one of the first tasks we undertake on any project. Being able to work on a unique apartment in such an iconic building was truly a joy. We thoroughly enjoyed looking into the rich history of the Power Station as a whole and learnt many interesting facts that make the development so unique. This in turn fed into our design process for the project.

Within the apartment, there were many historical quirks that delighted the client and made the place feel unique and special to its setting: from the original numerical markings on the brick work, to some of the existing electrical drawings from the 1950s.

When we first saw the completed space, we were struck by the low winter sun dancing around the space, casting a variety of shadows on the various finishes, most notably the scalloped headboard design.

Why did you enter the SBID Awards?

At Beoto Design, we are committed to making conscious design decisions that harmonise both sustainability and quality from the outset. We entered the duplex apartment into the SBID Awards to demonstrate this uncompromised fusion, which utilises an existing base build and elevates it to suit the needs of a client without having to remove anything to landfill.

What has being an Award Finalist meant to you and your business?

Being named a Finalist for the 2024 SBID Awards was a great honour for Beoto Design and felt like recognition and a celebration of our alternative approach to delivering a high-quality project infused with our sustainable ethos.

This recognition would not have been possible without a fantastic project team, with highly skilled craftsmen and women, consultants and suppliers as equally as responsible for its success. The project was a truly collaborative endeavour between the client, designers, suppliers and installers. We love working in this way and were grateful that this approach was also recognised by the judging panel.

The nomination has given us the confidence to continue developing this approach, further scrutinising our material choices and furniture-sourcing to ensure that the design and installation can have minimal impacts on the environment, whilst achieving an elevated level of quality.

Questions answered by Jake Warrington, Founder and Director at Beoto Design.