On the 30th November 2017, the five-star luxury lifestyle hotel, Andaz London Liverpool Street, unveiled its beautiful festive installation. 25 Days of Shoreditch Christmas is Shoreditch’s biggest advent calendar and celebrates the charm, culture and history of the local area in which the hotel is based.
Created by local design agency, Junior London in collaboration Stables & Lucraft, and on display until January 2018, the installation provides a unique East London take on the traditional Christmas advent calendar, and pays homage to the classic ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’ carol.
The Andaz London Liverpool Street has used its expert knowledge of the area to curate 25 unique windows, featuring a beautiful piece of art depicting some of East London’s most iconic highlights, local recommendations and interesting historical facts about the hotel and area.
Each window tells a different tale, opening from the 1st to the 25th December, revealing a different surprise and gift of knowledge. One reveals London’s best kept secret, the Andaz’s hidden Masonic Temple, whilst another retells the story of how the hotel survived both world wars.
Throughout the duration of the installation there will be some interactive elements, linked to specific windows, which have been designed to encourage guests to engage with the surrounding area and enjoy a multi-sensory experience.
The calendar incorporates some of East London’s most spectacular landmarks, from the dragons guarding the gates of the City to the amazing street art of Shoreditch, including the Jedi fighter mural on Curtain Road.
The installation also recommends must-see highlights from the neighbourhood. Brick Lane’s curry mile is an exhilarating experience, filled with the smell of spices and the yells of restaurant hosts to gets its very own window. Eighteen Folgate Street is one of the most well-known homes in Shoreditch and provides an “historical imagining” of the life of a family of Huguenot silk weavers.
The various windows will be on display across a huge mirrored wall, in the Andaz Lounge at the entrance of the hotel. Vinyls will be applied to the outside frame of each wooden window, with an inboard door construction and bespoke layered illustration.
The installation will also incorporate the #EastLondonAdventure hashtag, a creative digital campaign launched by Andaz London Liverpool Street to celebrate the unique and distinctive character of its East London locale. Each of the ‘Advent calendar’ windows represent a part of the East London adventure, bringing to life the area’s identity, which the hotel frequently seeks to explore and illuminate across its own digital platforms.
A clever use of design is always at the heart of the five-star luxury lifestyle hotel: effortlessly combining the building’s heritage form the late nineteenth century when The Great Eastern Hotel occupied the site, with today’s modern aesthetic.
General Manager Otto Steenbeek says, “At Andaz London Liverpool Street, we want every guest to be able to experience the incredible vibrant culture of East London from within the hotel. This year’s installation not only celebrates the area’s history but also encourages guests to explore the district’s iconic landmarks and experience the neighbourhood.
“Bringing to life the Christmas festivities and tradition of the classic advent calendar, this particular interactive installation allows each guest to experience the area through a local perspective and engage with the historical stories that bring East London alive”.