News 2008

NEWS 2008

DECEMBER 2008

SOCIETY OF ANTIQUARIES, BESPOKE FURNITURE & AN ARTICLE IN 'COUNTRY LIFE'

Country Life carried a full-length feature article about the refurbishment of the headquarters of the Society of Antiquaries www.sal.org.uk. Julian Harrap Architects www.julianharraparchitects.co.uk have recently completed a number of refurbishment schemes for the learned societies in Burlington House (including the Geological Society). Luke Hughes & Company has been proud to design and make bespoke furniture for most of them. At the Society of Antiquaries, the particular challenge was to provide sympathetic auditorium seating for the principal meeting room, much used for conferences and lectures. The designs adapted details from the Academy chair, from the Classic Chair collection, in a manner similar to that used at the Theatre Royal in Bury St Edmund.

The Luke Hughes Classic Chair Collection


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DECEMBER 2008

BESPOKE TABLE FOR TIGRIS

Tigris Financial, based in Dover St W1, sought an unusual furniture solution to match their outstanding corporate interior - an oval table in Marron Imperial marble with bronze mirror-backed toughened glass. The base structure inconspicuously accommodates extensive power and data, using adapted fin bases from the Luke Hughes and Company CAPITAL boardroom table range, with a high-polished stainless steel trim. For more information, see www.meeting-table.co.uk.


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NOVEMBER 2008

LUKE HUGHES LECTURES ON SUSTAINABILTY AUSTRALIA AND SINGAPORE

At the invitation of AHEC, the American Hardwoods Export Council www.ahec.org, Luke Hughes was flown out to Singapore, Brisbane and Sydney in November to talk at a variety of sustainability conferences, including Wood Design 08, covering 'contemporary international thinking, encouraging sustainable design in wood'. The other UK speaker included Jim Greaves of Hopkins Architects www.hopkins.co.uk with whom Luke Hughes and Company have collaborated on a number of signature buildings, including the New Parliamentary Building and the Queen's Theatre for Emmanuel College Cambridge. Other presentations were made by Dr Pierre Quenneville (chair of Timber Design, Auckland University), Dr Bob Milner (Monash University Melbourne), and Timothy Hill (Donovan Hill Architects, Brisbane). Delegates came from all over South-East Asia and the Pacific Rim.
Luke Hughes also spoke on sustainability to Singapore Furniture Industries Council, architects, and students at Temasek University in Singapore.


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NOVEMBER 2008

LHCL COMPLETES A MAJOR TABLE SUPPLY FOR HENDERSON GLOBAL INVESTORS

Luke Hughes & Company completed all the cable-managed boardroom and conference tables for Henderson Global Investors. These prestigious new offices on Broadgate were designed by Pringle Brandon www.pringle-brandon.co.uk and incorporate many of the Luke Hughes & Company portfolio of standard corporate table bases, including CURZON and MERCURY. The project also saw the first commercial installation of the new MOKI cable-managed table base system (designed in collaboration with Tomoko Azumi's TNA Studio).
Luke Hughes said shortly after completion 'As usual it is a pleasure to collaborate with Pringle Brandon on such an imaginative project. It is also very exciting seeing the evolution of the MOKI cable-managed table base and, indeed seeing such an elegant and thoughtful design solution going into production so smoothly. It's great fun to work with Tomoko again - we have known each other for many years and have collaborated on a large number of very high profile projects, including the UK Supreme Court, the Mandarin Spa, and Foundress Court at Pembroke College Cambridge'.


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OCTOBER 2008

ARCHITECTS WRIGHT & WRIGHT WIN COVETED WOOD AWARD

Architects Wright & Wright the designers of the new Taylor Library at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge have just been awarded a coveted Wood Award www.woodawards.com for their imaginative use of timber panels. Luke Hughes & Company provided all the library chairs for this project, using the St Hugh's chair model from the Classic Chairs collection. This is the third major collaboration with Wright & Wright.

In 2004 Luke Hughes & Company were award-winners for their own library interior for the Supreme Court in Edinburgh.


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Corpus Christi College, Taylor Library

SEPTEMBER 2008

LHCL DESIGNS FOR THE THEATRE ROYAL RESTORATION, BURY ST EDMUNDS, RECEIVE MENTION AT RIBA REGIONAL AWARDS CEREMONY

Luke Hughes & Company designs for the Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmund were specifically mentioned in the RIBA Regional Awards ceremony, held in Cambridge on 23 September. Architects Levitt Bernstein collected the RIBA award for their sensitive handling of the restoration, which has also been awarded a Civic Trust Commendation, a Crown Estate Conservation Award, and a USITT Architectural Award. Architect Axel Burrough said after the ceremony 'the whole project is an outstanding example of what can be achieved, even on a tight budget, by close collaboration between a committed design team'.

'Country Life' article


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SEPTEMBER 2008

LHCL ANNUAL CPD AT STOURHEAD IN WILTSHIRE

This was the 6th year that Luke Hughes & Company have organised a CPD trip for architects to visit the 5000 acre estate at Stourhead www.stourhead.com in Wiltshire (next to the magnificent National Trust garden of the same name). More than 40 architects and designers were shown how timber is grown, managed, cut, selected and marketed (and above all, how to design around the characteristics of the material). It was of particular interest for those concerned about sustainability and bio-diversity. Many of the topics follow on from Luke's regular CPD seminars on timber and how it behaves. More than 250 architects have now attended what many consider to be the best CPD in the architectural market.
Peter Lill from Pringle Brandon www.pringle-brandon.co.uk wrote after the trip 'it was such a privilege to be invited, a wonderfully informative day and a treat to be in the country. Please could you pass on my thanks to all involved in making it such a great success'. Aileen Asher, head of Interior Design at HOK International www.hok.com wrote 'What a wonderful day, a huge thank you to you and your team for organising everything in such a charming and efficient way. All in all a superb day, many thanks'.

Stourhead 2006


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JULY 2008

MERCERS' CHAPEL, PHASE 1 COMPLETES

Luke Hughes & Company have just completed Phase I of the refurbishment of the chapel of the Mercers' Company www.mercers.co.uk. This involved re-arranging the liturgical area, re-mounting many historic fragments from an earlier chapel built shortly after the Great Fire of London and salvaged from 1940s bomb wreckage, as well as providing elegant new ecclesiastical seating. Luke Hughes & Company worked closely with lighting designer Mark Sutton-Vane www.sva.co.uk in giving the whole space a new emphasis to the heart of the grandest of London's livery companies - the only one still retaining a private chapel. All the new church seating included a representation of the Mercers' familiar emblem, the Maiden, individually carved by Colin Mantripp.


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JUNE 2008

LUKE HUGHES STACKING PEWS FOR THE LADY CHAPEL, CHICHESTER CATHEDRAL

Luke Hughes & Company have for twelve years pioneered the concept of stacking pews in ecclesiastical spaces. A new version of the Charterhouse stacking pew has just been delivered to the newly restored Lady Chapel of Chichester Cathedral www.chichestercathedral.org.uk collaborating with Colin Kerr of Molyneux Kerr Architects www.molyneuxkerr.com. Specially designed stacking pews were also specified by Molyneux Kerr in the restoration of the Hawksmoor masterpiece, St George's Bloomsbury in 2006. Stacking pews allow the space to be re-arranged for a variety of liturgical events and even cleared completely.

visit our stacking benches site


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MAY 2008

LIVERPOOL UNIVERSITY, LEGGATE THEATRE

The Leggate Lecture Theatre at the University of Liverpool has recently been refurbished under the direction of architects Levitt Bernstein Architects www.levittbernstein.co.uk and involved Luke Hughes & Company designing and making all the new auditorium seating. The building was originally designed by Alfred Waterhouse (the architect of the Natural History Museum) and the new chair designs allowed the original feel of the buildings interior to be revealed, albeit with consideration for accessibility, recent regulations and the practicalities of modern usage.


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MAY 2008

BABCOCK & BROWN, ERIC PARRY ARCHITECTS

Luke Hughes & Company have just completed the design and installation of cable-managed meeting STUDIO tables in the conference rooms of new offices designed by Eric Parry Architects www.ericparryarchitects.co.uk for Babcock & Brown www.babcockbrown.com in the award-winning office development in Aldermanbury Square. The development has scooped a number of awards, including two British Council awards for office design. The judges hailed the design for being 'bold and brave but also incredibly elegant'.

Luke Hughes & Company have now been collaborating with Eric Parry Architects for more than 20 years.


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APRIL 2008

CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF MAKING FURNITURE FOR OXBRIDGE COLLEGES

This feature describes the re-ordering of the east end of oneOn 28 April, Luke Hughes&Company celebrated 20 years designing and making furniture for Oxbridge colleges by hosting a drinks party in the spectacular setting of the Old Divinity School in the Bodleian Library. Over those two decades, Luke Hughes&Company have now worked for 54 out of the 68 colleges and halls in Oxford and Cambridge. For the most part, this has meant furniture for the public spaces of college and university buildings including dining halls, chapels, libraries, accommodation and special meeting rooms. It was especially poignant to introduce to the distinguished guests Alan Harvey, who has been working alongside Luke Hughes&Company for nearly a quarter of a century and whose team has been responsible for a lot of the fine craftsmanship made during that time. Guests included those from Christ Church and Merton (both amongst the company's earliest and longest-standing clients), as well as All Souls, Balliol College, Brasenose College, Corpus Christi College, Harris Manchester College, Keble College, Lady Margaret Hall, Lincoln College, New College, Hertford, St Antony's College, St Cross, St Hugh's, Trinity College, University College and the University Estates Department.


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MARCH 2008

ST MARY'S WOODBRIDGE - ARTICLE IN 'CHURCH BUILDING' MAGAZINE

This feature describes the re-ordering of the east end of one of the finest churches in Suffolk. Almost entirely 15th century, this tall and beautifully elegant parish church had undergone numerous changes that, over time, had left the east end in a 'bit of a muddle'. The space was cramped and cluttered and did not suit today's pattern of worship were flexibility and wider community issues are increasingly important.

The article describes the close collaboration of both the architect and client with Luke Hughes and Company in realising a space that reflected the original simplicity and elegance of the church, whilst providing a setting for contemporary use.

Luke Hughes & Company provided portable choir stands, benches, clergy seating, choir seating, and a nave altar and altar rails that all combined to create a harmonious group that could be reconfigured to suit the demands of modern worship and secular activity.

Full article from 'Church Building' magazine


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FEBRUARY 2008

The brief from PROVIDENCE EQUITY was to design and manufacture 'the best table in London'.

TDA Interiors created a contemporary interior which perfectly complemented the Providence Equity's classic Georgian building in George Street. London. Luke Hughes & Company supplied a series of large and small Capital meeting tables, Athena dining tables and smaller Curzon meeting tables.

The brief for the Capital meeting tables included a reconfiguration facility were 2 individual meeting tables in adjoining rooms could be combined to create a massive 34 seater boardroom table. Reconfiguration involves opening the divider screen beween rooms and connecting tables in each room by additional table leaves.

The tables were finished in american black walnut with a maple profile edge and a glass textured decorative centre panel.
All tables were AV compatible.

TDA Interiors


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FEBRUARY 2008

Update on THE THEATRE ROYAL, BURY ST EDMUNDS from an article in COUNTRY LIFE

David Ashstead writes in this month's Country Life about the restoration of the Theatre Royal, the sole surviving Regency playhouse in England. Dating from 1819 the theatre spent it's last 80 years as beer store with a brief period of reprieve in the 60's and 70's when an attempt was made to reopen it as a theatre. In 1987 the National Trust took an interest and the theatre re-opened in 2007 following a £5.3 refurbishment.

There is no better way to describe the involvement and role of Luke Hughes and Company in this project than to paraphrase David Ashstead in Country Life:

"... One of the greatest triumphs has been the design of the elegant, continuous seating in the Pit and the new seats in the boxes of the Dress and Upper Circles. Luke Hughes's impossibly slim hardwood seating, with its subtle upholstered surfaces, is a product of 21st century engineering and craftsmanship, yet its form was guided by extensive research into the benches that 18th and 19th century theatregoers endured..."

Full article from 'Country Life' magazine


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