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You can spot patterns all over London, if you just spend some time looking. The team at specialist design studio Patternity have picked six of their favourites.
The Sky Garden
‘Tropical plants combined with a 360-degree view of London through the curved grid roof of the Walkie Talkie takes some beating. Spend an evening under the changing sky, as the pastel gradients alter from dusk to night, and glittering spots emerge as London lights up. It’s pretty special.’
The Wolseley
‘Pattern inspiration is absolutely everywhere at Grade II*-listed hotel The Wolseley. The Patternity mantra of “look up, look down, look around” is particularly fruitful in this opulent art deco haven. We are always especially dazzled by the monochrome marble floor, a feature of the building since it opened in 1921.’
Tate Switch House
‘The new Tate Modern Switch House, designed by Swiss architectural demi-gods Herzog and De Meuron, combines patterns at every scale, from the textured chainmail brickwork and the striped windows, to the angular shape and spaces it creates against the skyline. The gallery is as intriguing outside as the artwork within.’
The Barbican
‘Possibly our favourite London spot, the Barbican Centre and its brutalist design are fascinating. It lends itself particularly well to pattern-hunting tours, looking at the wealth of textures and details of the architecture, from the mundane to the magnificent, unpicking its history through its incidental and designed forms.’
Kew Gardens
‘Escaping from the metropolis of central London to the calm and expansive spaces at Kew, we are always drawn to the Palm House to get lost among the foliage and textures from around the world. The glass roof allows serendipitous shadows to be cast across the pathways – a sight that we relish at Patternity.’
Ace Hotel Shoreditch
‘The 100 Room at the Ace gives a spectacular view across many of the other buildings we have chosen, and offers a new patterned perspective of east London, where we have our studio; pick out the sweep of the Overground line heading north, the tessellating rooftops or the distant dome of St Paul’s.'