HOW DO YOU DESIGN THE STOPPAGE OF TIME? THAT WAS THE CHALLENGE PRESENTED TO THE PRECIOSA DESIGN TEAM BY DAVID T´KINT, PARTNER AT HBA DUBAI. THE WELL-RESPECTED DESIGN STUDIO WAS ASKED TO HELP CREATE THE GREAT SCOTLAND YARD HOTEL IN LONDON. THE HOTEL IS ACTUALLY IN THE ORIGINAL SCOTLAND YARD METROPOLITAN POLICE HEADQUARTERS AND IS FILLED WITH MEMORIES AND STORIES. PRECIOSA WAS PLEASED TO ACCEPT THIS CHALLENGE AND DESIGN A ONE-OF-A-KIND PIECE FOR THE HOTEL’S ENTRYWAY. WE ALSO CREATED WALL SCONCES FOR ONE OF THE LIFT LOBBIES AND A CHANDELIER FOR THE OWNER’S SUITE.

The design of the clock was a challenge as the goal of the installation was to look as if time was exploding. We needed to produce and fix the individual components so they would look ‘soft’ and not simply as hanging components. The final installation weighs 450 kilograms and is made from clear and frosted plate glass. The base is a mix of metal finishes including polished stainless steel, golden brown, and aged brown patina.

“We adore the clock, and it’s most certainly a unique statement piece of art for guests entering the hotel,” said Sholto Smith, General Manager of the Great Scotland Yard Hotel. In an article about the project, Mr. T’Kint commented: “There is no notion of a typical experience at GSY, it is unbound. Preconceived understandings will vanish upon entering the foyer where the chandelier has given way to a fragmented timepiece which is a celebration of the essence of GSY.”