Radisson Hotel Bar, Glasgow

With a prime location in Glasgow’s Argyll Street near Glasgow Central train station, Radisson is hoping the street entrance to its bar will attract passing trade as well as hotel guests.

Scheduled to open later this year, the bar is the antithesis of a ‘stereotypical’ hotel bar, says Graven Images managing director Ross Hunter. ‘We looked around Glasgow and were impressed with the high standard of competitors,’ he says.

An ‘island’ bar will feature 3m-high display cases with modern sculpture on show alongside drinks. Laptop connection points will cater for business customers having impromptu meetings during the day.

The curved building of the bar is glazed to its full height, revealing booth seating on two levels to people outside. The aesthetic inside is ‘clean, contemporary and high quality’, says Hunter, with stone, timber and leather.

The bar is designed to appeal as much to evening drinkers as coffee-lovers and cocktail quaffers, he adds. It is the first work Graven Images has done for Radisson, recommended by architect Murray Dunlop. Pentagram partner Lorenzo Apicella’s team is designing the hotel’s restaurant.