Aukett to touch down at Stansted

Aukett Europe is to design interiors at the new Radisson SAS hotel at Stansted Airport in a project worth a seven-figure sum in design fees to the consultancy.

Final planning approval on the project is expected in mid-July and the first stage of construction will begin in the autumn.

The architecture, design and engineering group is working on the £40m project in conjunction with contractor Skanska. But interiors project manager Jane Johnson is directly responsible to Radisson, says Aukett Europe director Stephen Embley.

‘It is a very prestigious site. The terminal is one of the icons of airport design so we’ve had to produce a quality piece of design,’ he comments.

The central feature of the four-star plus hotel is a ‘jewel box’ atrium containing most of the hotel’s amenities, such as bars, restaurants, health club and meeting rooms. The atrium extends above the bedroom roof level to admit as much light as possible.

A series of bridges span the atrium, linking a central lift-shaft to three bedroom wings.

While the bedrooms are designed to look ‘smart and neat’, most of the work has gone into the central space, says Embley.

Initial concepts have incorporated a mixture of ceramic and carpet finishes to create ‘a contemporary, friendly feel rather than a white, still, architectural feel, to fit in with the service ethic of the hotel’, he adds.

The hotel is the first to have direct pedestrian access to the airport’s terminal building and will be linked to check-in and departure systems.

Signage and graphics work in the atrium area may be outsourced, although Aukett has its own signage section, Embley confirms.

Aukett Europe was appointed by Radisson to handle interiors in April, following a four-way unpaid creative pitch, and has previously worked on other Radisson SAS airport hotels in Manchester and Holland.