Lifestyle aparthotel brand Locke has announced its expansion into Zurich, Switzerland with the opening of its fifteenth property, Locke am Platz.
Located in Enge, the aparthotel is spread across six floors, comprising 80 units, ranging from rooms, studios and suites alongside social spaces including a restaurant and bar. Enge is known for its expansive green spaces with popular parks and botanical gardens located nearby, as well as Lake Zurich; a haven for swimmers.
Designed in keeping with Locke’s locally-focused ethos, forward-thinking London-based design studio, Sella Concept, led by Tatjana von Stein, took inspiration from the city, reflecting the cultural identity of Zurich through the distinctive and sophisticated design language used throughout the rooms and common areas. Apartment interiors have been curated as a series of boudoir rooms, using colourful tones, plush materials and vibrant modernist patterns with a nod to riviera aesthetics and the nearby Lake Zurich.
The apartments feature bespoke decorative curtains which line the walls and frame the bed in a grandiose style, creating a warm and sumptuous feel which balances the bold character of the rooms to ensure an oasis of calm. In true Locke style, all studios feature a living area and fully fitted kitchen for maximum convenience. The property also features 40 new hotel-style rooms primed for short stay guests.
Locke am Platz’s carefully designed social spaces feature floor-to-ceiling windows, creating a light-filled environment which juxtaposes stainless steel and rich upholstery to create a distinctive balance between hard and soft materials. A central bar sits between the restaurant ‘Choupette’ and the lounge connecting the two spaces. Taking inspiration from the geometric shapes of the modernist era, the front of the bar is wrapped with bespoke, carefully crafted decorative timber panels. The lounge space sits on a raised, carpeted platform overlooking the wider common area. With velvet lined curtains used to create an intimate, dynamic atmosphere, the space also provides views through to the restaurant, an elegant space inspired by the Swiss riviera.
Bespoke furniture pieces designed by Sella Concept and manufactured by Parla line the windows and the wider lounge and restaurant spaces, while terracotta, green and yellow velvet finishes by Yarn Collective are mixed with stainless steel, microcement and high gloss paints to create an intimate and vibrant space. Enhancing the highly charged, multifunctional quality of the space, the lounge and restaurant have been carefully designed for a seamless day-to-night transition, with an evening DJ booth doubling up as a high table for guests to enjoy during the day. The restaurant culminates in a hand painted mural by the esteemed decorative painter, Magdalena Julia Gordon.
Led by Head Chef Jaco Redelinghuys, Locke am Platz’s restaurant, ‘Choupette’ is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Having worked as head chef at the best restaurants in Cape Town, Redelinghuys founded his own. Restaurant ‘Yoco Eatery’ in South Africa and ‘Hotel & Restaurant Taverna’ in Fribourg with his wife, and has worked at leading restaurants including Michelin Star, Maison Manesse. Choupette’s creative food concept offers guests elements of a modern Brasserie. The restaurant takes classic styles from the ‘French Brasserie’ and combines them with modern Nordic touches such as preserving, pickling or even Japanese fermenting techniques. Together with his business partner, Dino Schön, an extensive wine list has been crafted offering everything from traditional, natural and biodynamic wines.
A private dining area, connected to the restaurant which sits apart from the rest of the space can be rented for private functions or family gatherings. With nods to the traditional riviera style, guests can admire a classic style mural wallpaper that spans the ceiling, while a Villa Borsani inspired rug sits centre, the space lit throughout by Gio Ponti Bilia lamps which are complemented by Sella designed metal wall lights.
